Nagaland University Researchers from the Law Department have proposed a pioneering ‘Digital Rehabilitation Law’ — a future-oriented legal framework that integrates Artificial Intelligence (AI), telemedicine and mobile health technologies into India’s drug addiction recovery system. The study offers one of the earliest doctrinal analyses of how India’s legal environment can accommodate technology-driven rehabilitation models. It examines India’s growing drug dependency crisis and argues that traditional rehabilitation systems have remained inaccessible, understaffed and stigmatised for far too long. The researchers highlight an urgent need to strengthen rehabilitation as a central pillar of national public health and drug policy.
The Research was undertaken by Dr Rumi Dhar and Tania Anya from the Department of Law, Nagaland University. The findings have been published in KDU Law Journal, a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Faculty of Law, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka. It offers scholarly research on contemporary legal issues and is internationally indexed in HeinOnline. Highlighting the need for academic institutions of excellence to develop modern solutions for social issues, Prof. Jagadish K Patnaik, Vice Chancellor, Nagaland University, said, “This work reflects Nagaland University’s commitment to socially relevant research that upholds patient rights, expands access to care, and supports evidence-based policymaking. I am confident that such forward-looking scholarship will contribute meaningfully to national dialogues on public health and technological governance”
The study evaluates the compatibility of existing statutes, including Digital Personal Data Protection Act (2023), Telemedicine Practice Guidelines (2020) and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (1985), with emerging digital rehabilitation tools. It identifies critical gaps related to privacy, informed consent, algorithmic transparency, and accountability, especially as AI-driven relapse prediction models and virtual counselling platforms become more prevalent. Elaborating on the study, Dr. Rumi Dhar said, “This study is both unique and urgently relevant. Our proposed legislative model of a ‘Digital Rehabilitation Law’ will harmonise India’s current legal provisions to support safe, ethical and tech-enabled addiction treatment. The research underscores that while technology can significantly improve access to rehabilitation, particularly for rural and underserved communities, robust legal safeguards must protect patient rights and dignity.”
