DPIIT-IPR Chair Professor at HNLU, Raipur

This particular opportunity is not targeted at law students or fresh graduates — it is a senior academic and professional position requiring significant experience in Intellectual Property Rights. However, law students and early-career legal professionals would benefit from being aware of this listing for several reasons.

First, it signals the growing institutional importance of IPR as a specialisation within Indian legal academia and policy. Understanding the kind of expertise that DPIIT and National Law Schools are investing in helps you chart a long-term career path if IP law interests you. Second, HNLU's active hiring under government-backed Chair positions often indicates a vibrant research environment — one where students enrolled in its LLM or Ph.D. programmes may get to work alongside such distinguished faculty. Third, tracking senior-level recruitments at NLUs is a useful way to stay informed about the evolving landscape of legal academia, especially if you are considering a career in law teaching or legal research in the future.

This is a senior-level position with clearly defined eligibility criteria. An individual is eligible to be considered for the DPIIT–IPR Chair Professor role if they meet any one of the following three conditions:

1. Academic Route: The applicant must have served as, or meet the UGC-prescribed eligibility criteria for serving as, a Professor or Associate Professor, and must possess sufficient teaching and research experience specifically in Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).
2. IP Attorney or Senior Professional Route: The applicant must be a practising IP attorney with a minimum of ten years of experience in IPR law, or any other professional who has gained significant recognition in the IPR field with no less than ten years of experience in that domain.
3. Retired Government Official Route: The applicant must be a retired official of the IP Office under CGPDTM, holding a doctorate degree, with a minimum of five years of experience at Level 12 or above — such as Controller of Patent and Design, Registrar of Trademark and Geographical Indications, or Registrar of Copyrights.

The appointment is for one position only, is contractual in nature for five years, and is based offline in Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh. There is no application fee. The consolidated monthly pay is Rs. 1.5 Lakh.

If you are a senior academic, IP attorney, or retired IP Office official considering this role, here is how to put together a strong application:

• Tailor Your CV for an Academic-Policy Audience: Highlight your IPR-specific experience prominently. If you are applying on the basis of academic credentials, list peer-reviewed publications, courses taught, and research projects related to IP. If applying as an IP attorney, emphasise landmark matters handled, advisory roles, and any policy contributions.
• Document Your Ten Years Clearly: Whichever eligibility route you qualify under, make it unambiguous in your application. Provide clear timelines, designations, and institutional affiliations that establish your minimum years of experience in IPR.
• Prepare a Research and Teaching Statement: Most Chair Professor applications expect a vision note or statement of purpose outlining how you intend to use the position — your proposed research agenda, capacity-building plans, and engagement with DPIIT's objectives. Draft this carefully and align it with HNLU's stated focus areas.
• Gather Robust References: References from senior academics, former judicial officers, or government officials familiar with your IPR work will strengthen your application considerably.
• Do Not Wait for the Last Day: The deadline was already extended once from 14 May to 30 May 2026. With the current deadline falling on 30 May, apply as early as possible to avoid technical or logistical issues.
• Verify Submission Instructions from the Official Notification: The mode of submission (online, postal, or in-person) will be specified in the official advertisement on the HNLU vacancies page. Follow those instructions to the letter.