Dr. Behl is a legal academic and researcher with over 15 years of experience. She started her journey as an Assistant Professor with Amity Law School, Noida (2011-2021), and later joined Alliance School of Law, Alliance University, Bengaluru (2021-2025). Over these years, she has taught a wide array of subjects, including Public International Law, International Environmental Law, Human Rights Law, International Humanitarian and Refugee Law, Women & Criminal Laws, Law of Contracts, Jurisprudence, Evidence Law, and Law of Crimes. Besides the above, she held administrative positions and actively engaged in outreach activities at both Law Schools.

Being a researcher at heart, her passion and dedication towards using her research to propagate for women’s and children’s rights, apart from mental health, is evident from her publications in internationally highly-reputed and acclaimed journals, including BMJ Open, Asian Journal of Psychiatry, Archives of Mental Health, etc. Her doctoral thesis, titled ‘Critical Analysis of Perinatal Depression in Reference to Right to Health and Reproductive Rights of Women in India', was an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary study, bridging the gap between Psychiatry, Medical Anthropology, Public Health, and Human Rights Law.

She consistently worked as a peer-reviewer for different SCOPUS-indexed journals of different publishing houses, including Springer, Sage, etc. She was also invited to peer-review by the Open Research Europe, an initiative of the European Commission.

Dr. Behl was elected to the Executive Committee of the South Asian Marce Association, a regional chapter of the International Marce Society for Perinatal Mental Health. She is the only law professor who is part of the Committee, testifying to her expertise in the niche area. She is also part of the Editorial Review Board for the Journal of Public Health and Research, a Sage Publication, a SCOPUS-indexed (Q-2) journal. Further, she is a member of the Ethics Review Board for the Foundation for Research in Health Systems (FRHS), Bengaluru, from February 2025, for a three-year term.

Dr. Behl is inclined to pursue her research interests and bring the relevant experience and exposure to her students and sessions through international collaborations as well. Her recent international collaboration was with Monash University, Australia.

Professional Education

• Completed training (continued professional development) offered by the Supportive Partnerships for Advancing Research and Knowledge (SPARK), University of North Carolina, on intimate partner violence measurement and maternal mental health research, in January-February, 2026.
• Ph.D. (in Law): Faculty of Law, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune
• UGC-NET (Law): Qualified in 2012
• LL.M.: Symbiosis Law School, Pune (dual specialization in Human Rights Law and Business Laws)
• LL.B.: University School of Law & Legal Studies, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Dwarka, Delhi

Courses Taught

• Women and the Law
• Environmental Law
• Public International Law

Research Interests

• Gender-Based Laws
• Human Rights Law
• Public Health Law

Selected Publications

• Behl R. (2026). Advancing the right to perinatal mental health through feminist jurisprudence: A narrative review. Women's health (London, England), 22, 17455057261466977.
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• Behl, R. (2025). Recognizing disability associated with perinatal depression as a precursor of women's rights violations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. women's health (London, England), 21, 17455057251394844.
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• Behl, R., Baek, Y., Tran, T., & Fisher, J. (2025). Digital Health Interventions for Perinatal Depression in Diverse Cultural Contexts: a Systematic Review. Current psychiatry reports, 28(1)
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• Behl R, Nemane V. Perinatal depression, and the perspective of individuals with legal backgrounds in India: Exploring policy gaps and human rights implications. Journal of Public Health Research. 2026;15(3).
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• Behl R, Nemane V. Trajectory of Five-Year Plans in India and Emplacement of Perinatal Depression: A Flouted Public Health Issue. Journal of Health Management. 2026;
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• Behl, R., Nemane, V., & Gurpur, S. (2025). Legal interventions for perinatal depression in India: a qualitative study with clinical specialists having expertise in perinatal mental health. BMJ open, 15(1), e093027.
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• Behl, R., & Nemane, V. (2025). Perinatal mental health and the justice delivery system in India. The Medico-legal journal, 93(1_suppl), 78–81.
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• Behl R. (2025). Judicial interface with perinatal depression in India: an empirical analysis and thematic review of published judgments. Archives of women's mental health, 28(3), 401–414.
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• Behl R. (2025). Perinatal depression, perinatal mental health, and legal interventions: a medico-legal anthropological concept. Discover mental health, 5(1), 73.
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• Perinatal mental disorders, mental health services, and human rights treaties: recognizing the state 's obligations. Archives of women 's mental health, 10.1007/s00737-025-01604-y. Advance online publication.
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• Behl R. (2024). Indicators of perinatal mental health of the Indian women, and the National Family Health Surveys: Trajectory of obscurity. Asian journal of psychiatry, 102, 104263.
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• Behl R. (2025). Perinatal mental health within the contours of the Indian MTP Act framework: From the lens of the Indian judiciary. Asian journal of psychiatry, 104, 104355.
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• Behl R., Nemane, V., & Sims, D. (2024). Perinatal Mental Disorders: The ‘Non- Liquet’ Facet of Mental Health Legislative Instruments in India. Journal of Health Management.
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• Behl R. (2025). Recognizing Distinctiveness of Perinatal Depression from Depression in Non-Perinatal Population: An Urgent Call for Action. Frontiers in Public Health, 13. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1636310
• Behl R. (2025). Delivery of perinatal mental health services in India, and the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Act, 2023: The connotations. Ethics, Medicine and Public Health, 33.
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• Behl R. (2023). The World Health Organization’s recommendations on postnatal mental health: The advances made and consolidated limitations. Ethics, Medicine and Public Health, 31.
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Editorial and reviewer experience

• Guest editing a special collection titled ‘Perinatal Mental Health and Gender-Based Health Equity: Implications for Public Health and Human Rights’, hosted by the Journal of Public Health Research
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• Working as a Topic Coordinator for a Research Topic titled ‘Risk and Resilience in Forensic Psychiatry’ hosted by Frontiers in Psychiatry (SCOPUS- Indexed, Q-1 Journal). The editorial team comprises Dr. Ugasvaree Subramaney (Professor and Head of Department, Psychiatry, Witwatersrand University, South Africa), Dr. Gary Chaimowitz (Professor, Psychiatry, McMaster University, Canada), Dr. Alessandra Bramante (President, Italian Branch of Marce Society for Perinatal Mental Health, Italy), and Dr. Claudia M Klier (Associate Professor, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna).
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• Working as a Reviewing Editor with Springer Nature since October, 2025.
• Reviewer for 30+ journals published by Springer Nature, BMC, Sage, Taylor & Francis, Wiley, and Elsevier.

Projects undertaken

• Currently working on a Minor Research Project funded by Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune. It is an interdisciplinary collaboration with Dr. Prabha Chandra, Director, NIMHANS Bengaluru, along with Dr. Vivek Nemane, Assistant Professor, Symbiosis Law School, Pune, Dr. Harish Kalra from Monash University, Australia, and Dr. Ramdas Ransing, AIIMS Guwahati, dealing with digitalization of perinatal mental health services and policy frameworks.