The National Law University Odisha is proud to announce that its Honorary Professor, Dr. Neeru Chadha has been elected as the Vice- President of International Tribunal for the Law of Sea. The Vice-President assumes the function of the President in the event of a vacancy in the Presidency or of the inability of the President to exercise the function of the Presidency. 167 countries are within its jurisdiction relating to all international disputes and interpretation of Law of the Sea.

She is the first woman in the world to occupy this prestigious position in the 27 years of existence of ITLOS. Dr. Chadha has many firsts to her credit. She became the first woman President of the Seabed Disputes chamber of the tribunal from 2020-2023. She is the first woman in India and Asia to have been appointed as the judge of ITLOS and only the 2^nd woman in the world to be elected as a judge of ITLOS.

Prior to that she served as the Chief Legal Adviser in the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. She has also served as the Legal Adviser in the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations.

Dr Chadha has represented the Government of India in various multilateral and bilateral negotiations on various issues of international law. She is the first and the only woman to serve as the Agent of the Government of India. She represented India in its maritime delimitation dispute with Bangladesh; in the case concerning the Enrica Lexie Incident with Italy; and in the case concerning Nuclear Disarmament with Marshall Islands. She also served as a Co-Agent in the Kishenganga Arbitration with Pakistan.

Dr. Chadha studied law from Delhi University and worked in the Legal and Treaties Division of Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. Dr. Chadha has been actively guiding the revision of courses on International Law offered by NLUO.