Workshop on Water Conflicts in India

“The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has provided the institutional space for consultative processes for stakeholders as part of adjudication”, said Justice Swatanter Kumar, Chairperson of NGT, Delhi. He was delivering the keynote address during the inaugural function of the two day training programme on  “Water Conflicts in India: Legal and Institutional Framework for Conflict Prevention and Resolution” on 6-7 September at National Law University Delhi (NLUD). The training programme was organised by NLUD, NGT, Environment Law Research Society (ELRS) and Forum for Policy Dialogue on Water Conflicts in India (Forum). In the keynote address Justice Swatenter Kumar also emphasised on the need for proper implementation of the orders. He also praised the Indian Parliament for creating NGT as an important environmental governance institution. Prof.Rambir Singh, Vice Chancellor of NLUD welcomed the guests and the participants. K. J. Joy, coordinator of the Forum explained the context and the rationale for organsing such a training programme. Shri Mohan Pieris PC, former Chief Justice and Attorney General of Sri Lanka and Prof.Amita Singh of Jawaharlal University also spoke on the occasion. Prof. G S Bajpai, Registrar, NLUD, proposed the vote of thanks. 

The Forum took the initiative to organise this training programme as there is a widespread feeling that as a society we have not been to deal with water conflicts in a socially and environmentally just manner. Very often these conflicts end up in courts or NGT which as become an important institution for environmental governance. The legal professionals have a big role to in helping prevent/resolve conflicts according to an understanding of water in all its complexities. Thus the underlying idea of organising this training programme was to ensure that there exists a broader pool of people in the profession and outside who are aware of the complexity of issues in water as a resource in general and water law in particular and are ready to apply principles and concepts that exists in the legal framework but are seldom applied. There is also a need to further develop the framework if we have to address the new issues and wide ranging changes taking pale in the water sector. 

About 35 persons drawn from different professional and disciplinary background, including a few law students, participated in the training progamme.

The topics covered in the training programme included: 1) The bio-physical and socio-cultural peculiarities of water, 2) Legal framework around irrigation and river basin planning, 3) Water rights: From land-based usufructuary rights to tradable rights and the fundamental right to water, 4) Inter-linking of rivers: Federalism, ecology and transboundary conflicts, 5) Law, Water and Environment: Engagement with the NGT, 6) Inter-sectoral water allocation, use and conflict, 7) Groundwater: its characteristics and the legal regime, 8) Inter-state and transboundary water conflicts, 9) Rivers, pollution and the law, and 10) Water law and its complexity in theory and practice. The resource persons included K. J. Joy, Videh Upadhyay, Philippe Cullet, HimanshuThakkar, AkashVashishtha, Sujith Koonan, Srinivas Chokkakula, Manoj Misra, and M. S.Vani. The training programme ended with a panel discussion on the topic, “Legal and Institutional Framework for Water Conflict Prevention and Resolution in India: Issues, Prospects and way Forward”, chaired by Shri Mohan Pieris PC, former Chief Justice and Attorney General of Sri Lanka. Panellists included Navnet Vibhav, Manoj Misra, Philippe Cullet and K. J. Joy. Shri Sidharth Dahiya from NLUD proposed the vote of thanks. Dr.Niraj Kumar and Dr.Bharti of NLUD helped in the planning and organising of the training programme.

Capsule Course on Law for the probationers of Indian Defence Estates Service

Capsule Course on Law for the probationers of Indian Defence Estates Service

National Law University, Delhi in association with National Institute of Defence Estate Management, Ministry of Defence has organised a two-week Capsule Course on Law for the probationers of Indian Defence Estates Service. This is the third time NLUD has organised such course for the probationers of Indian Defence Estates Service. The two-week long course was organised in NLUD premise from March 9th-20, 2015. The course consists of 40 technical sessions covering different areas of public and private law. The target group consisted of nine Probationers of IDES.

The course was designed to serve the basic understanding of law and procedure to the participants. The discussion in various sessions concentrated upon the issues relating to defending of court cases and matters about administration of Cantonment Board and Managing Defence Lands. The resource persons have been invited from various fields of law having vast experience and knowledge in their respective areas to cater the demand of the course. The Course has achieved the object to great extent.

The course was co-ordinated by Mr. Neeraj Tiwari, Assistant Professor (Law) NLUD and Mr. S.D. Sharma, Consultant (Legal), NLUD.

Advance International Humanitarian Law South Asian Academics Training (AISAAT) in association with ICRC

National Law University Delhi in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) organized the 'Advance International Humanitarian Law South Asain Academics Training Programme' (AISAAT) from 03-05 March 2014. The programme focused on the broad theme of 'Contemporary Challenges in International Humanitarian Law.' The aim of the programme was to provide a platform to explore contemporary and complex issues confronting international humanitarian law, and reinvigorate debate, teaching and research in these areas. The programme brought together 25 eminent academicians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and saw presentations on various issues ranging from the role of private military contracts, cyber warfare, legality of use of drones, direct participation in hostilities, terrorism, piracy, child soldiers, role of International humanitarian law in post conflict countries and much more. The programme also witnessed participation from renowned legal scholars such as Prof. V.S. Mani, Prof. Venkata Rao, Prof. Sanoj Rajan to name a few.  

Training Programme on Competition Law for the African Countries in collaboration with CIRC, New Delhi

CIRC-NLUD ITEC Special Course on Competition Policy & Laws

The ITEC Special Course on Competition Policy and Laws was jointly organised by National Law University, Delhi and CUTS Institute for Regulation and Competition (CIRC), Delhi under the aegis of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India from 16 February to 1 March, 2015. This two week program held on the campus of NLU Delhi was tailored to meet the training needs of officials of regulatory authorities from African nations. 25 participants from 13 different African countries participated in the program; participants were from Seychelles, Senegal, Zambia, Tunisia, Morocco, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mauritius, Tanzania, Uganda, Botswana, Swaziland and Namibia. Mr. Ashok Chawla, Chairman, Competition Commission of India was the Chief Guest for the inaugural event. All competition law issues were comprehensively covered by leading experts including academicians, lawyers and former members of the CCI and DG office.