Registered Trust · Est. 2025

Think.
Question.
Act.

Soch Foundation advances critical thought, legal empowerment, and social justice — through rigorous research, public discourse, and direct action on the ground.

Our Work Past Events

Critical Discourse ◆ Legal Aid & Awareness ◆ Policy Research ◆ Social Justice ◆ Labour Rights ◆ Access to Justice ◆ Sex Workers' Rights ◆ Mental Health Awareness ◆ Critical Discourse ◆ Legal Aid & Awareness ◆ Policy Research ◆ Social Justice ◆ Labour Rights ◆ Access to Justice ◆ Sex Workers' Rights ◆ Mental Health Awareness ◆

About Soch Foundation

Both a think tank
and a doer

Soch Foundation is an independent public trust that sits at the intersection of intellectual inquiry and social action. We were founded by a group of law students who believed that rigorous thought and real-world impact are not just compatible — they are inseparable.

We bring together students, graduates, researchers, and practitioners from across India to foster critical discourse, drive policy research, and deliver direct legal empowerment to communities that need it most.

Today, Soch is expanding beyond its founding institution to other premier law schools and universities, building a national network of people committed to justice, inquiry, and change.

🔬

Research & Policy

Rigorous inquiry into legal, political, and social questions — from labour rights to digital governance.

🎙️

Public Discourse

Lectures, panels, and workshops that bring diverse perspectives into conversation with each other.

⚖️

Legal Aid & Action

Awareness campaigns, outreach clinics, and tools that put legal knowledge in the hands of those who need it.

🌐

Network & Community

A growing community of engaged students, alumni, and professionals united by shared values.

What We Do

From ideas to impact

Critical Discourse & Education

We convene conversations that matter — with scholars, policymakers, lawyers, and activists. Our workshops and speaker series push students to engage deeply with law, political economy, sociology, and beyond.

Handbook for Sex Workers

We played an instrumental role in producing a legal resource handbook for sex workers, and co-organised a roundtable consultation bringing together legal experts, policymakers, activists, and sex workers themselves.

Labour & Policy Research

We engage in research and advocacy on labour law, workers' rights, and social policy — connecting academic rigour with the lived realities of marginalised communities.

Legal Awareness Campaigns

Pro bono legal aid drives, rights and entitlements awareness camps, and targeted outreach to communities that lack access to legal information and recourse.

Mental Health Advocacy

Promoting awareness and destigmatisation of mental health, particularly among students and young professionals in high-pressure academic and professional environments.

Building the Soch Network

We're expanding to law schools and universities across India — creating a national network of critically engaged students and graduates committed to social change.

Events & Initiatives

Where thought meets action

August 11
2025

Fear and Freedom of Speech

Soch's first fully independent session brought together Prof. Anup Surendranath and Mr. Sanjoy Roy for a frank conversation on free expression in India. The session explored how fear — of trolling, censorship, or arrest — quietly shapes what people feel safe to say, write, or express. A timely reminder that freedom of speech is a fragile practice that survives only when exercised.

Mid
2024

Ikigai Law — Unpacking the DPDP Act

Soch teamed up with Ikigai Law for a session unpacking India's newly minted Digital Personal Data Protection Act. What could've been a dry legal breakdown turned into a genuinely fun, super relevant conversation about what the Act means for everyday digital life — from what happens to our data when we mindlessly click 'Accept' to bigger questions around digital public infrastructure and the impact on various stakeholders. The session saw a great mix of participants and wrapped up with a lively Q&A where no question was too basic or too wild. This was preceded by an important online discussion with the founder of Ikigai Law, Mr. Anirudh Rastogi, on careers in law.

October 19
2024

Round Table Consultation: Handbook for Sex Workers

A pivotal consultation bringing together legal experts, policymakers, academicians, activists, advocates, and sex workers to address the legal and social challenges faced by the community in India. This collaborative effort marks a meaningful step toward securing dignity, equality, and protection for all individuals, regardless of profession or background.

March 20
2024

Dr. Usha Ramanathan — "Philosophy for Technology"

Renowned legal scholar Dr. Usha Ramanathan explored the philosophical and regulatory dimensions of technology — examining how emerging technological frameworks intersect with law, society, and individual rights. A compelling argument for critical engagement with the values embedded in how technology is built and governed.

August 23
2023

Devashish Dhar — "Indian Cities: History and Path Ahead"

Drawing from his book India's Blind Spot, Devashish Dhar framed cities as humankind's longest-running social experiment. A wide-ranging conversation on urban governance, infrastructure gaps, and the everyday chaos and potential of Indian cities — co-hosted with the Centre for Law and Urban Development.

April 10
2023

Lord Meghnad Desai — "The Poverty of Political Economy"

A two-hour conversation with Lord Meghnad Desai on the political and economic currents shaping India. From the state of agriculture and the farmers' rights movement to the limits of dominant economic theories in explaining India's growth story — a session that set the intellectual tone for everything that followed.

Past & Committed Speakers

Lord Meghnad Desai

Dr. Usha Ramanathan

Devashish Dhar

Anirudh Rastogi

Prof. Anup Surendranath

Sanjoy Roy

Gayathri Spivak *

* Commitment confirmed, upcoming

The People

Built by those who care

Vatsal Jindel

Founder. Loves big questions and conversations that go off-track in the best possible way.

Mansha Sidhu

If you contact Soch, she's most likely to reply. Interested in legal policy, research, and access to justice.

Ishaany

The creative backbone of Soch — brings light, colour, and humour. Interested in feminist legal perspectives and access to justice.

Anas Khan Rayeen

The logistical backbone. Impeccable taste, enviable attention to detail — the reason events actually happen.

Gunjan Singh Khandate

Passionate about economic theory, highways, music, and literature. Will not miss an opportunity to make his point.

Siddhartha Das

Chess, cinema, law, and food. Passionate about litigation and policy research, with an eye on real-world impact.

Aakash DB

Go-to for anything tech and everything nice. Somehow knows everyone — if you need a solution, he's your person.

Praddosh

That over-excited, hard-working guy who volunteers for everything — from website design to drafting documents (on which the rest of us now count on). Too humble (lazy?) to write his own bio, so one of us had to step in. Annoying for his dedication but utterly indispensable.

Join the Network

We're expanding. If you're a student or graduate committed to justice and inquiry, we'd love to hear from you.

The Soch Blog

A space for honest thought

The Soch Blog is a platform for students, thinkers, writers, and readers to reflect on questions of public life, policy, and society — in a way that is honest, accessible, and rooted in the present.

We see it as a bridge between disciplines, and between thought and action. Law, economics, environment, politics, technology, identity — any lens through which you engage seriously with the world around you.

We also welcome essays that raise questions without providing solutions. Challenge assumptions, provoke thought, remain grounded.

Submit a Piece

Write as if for a curious high-school student — clear, direct, no unnecessary jargon
Conversational but reflective in tone; first-person welcome where it strengthens authenticity
Ground abstract ideas in real events, examples, or lived experience
Any discipline: law, economics, environment, politics, literature, technology, identity
Essays that raise questions without resolving them are equally welcome
Joint authorship of up to two people is allowed

Send a .docx attachment to hello@sochnetwork.in with a short title and a one-line author bio. Each submission is reviewed collaboratively — the writer will be part of the finalisation process.

Submit Your Piece

Think. Question. Act.