About Dr. Akshay Verma
Dr. Akshay Verma is a certified mediator and an Assistant Professor of Law, who joined National Law University Odisha in December 2021. Prior to this, he worked as a Guest Faculty in Law Centre-II, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi from September 2018 to April 2021.
Dr. Verma completed his Ph.D. in 2023, from Faculty of Law, University of Delhi. His research work examines the successes and pitfalls of the current arbitration system in India and explores the possibility of introducing a hybrid-arbitration mechanism for effective dispute resolution. Dr. Verma is a firm believer in ‘learning by doing’, and thus offers a purely clinical course on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) at the University, along with other subjects like Law of Evidence, Law of Crimes, Law of Contracts, Personal Laws, etc. He is the founding member of NLUO Mediation Cell which is India’s first higher education institution run mediation cell. Further, he is also the Project Coordinator for Project KUTUMB, NLUO which has the primary objective of betterment of village children vis-à-vis education, health and well-being.
ORCID: 0000-0002-5213-3388.
- UGC NET (2017, 2018)
- Ph.D. (Faculty of Law, University of Delhi) 2023
- LL.M. (Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi) 2018
- LL.B. (Law Centre-I, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi) 2017
- B.Sc. (Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi) 2014
Publications
- 2023: “The Consent Award in India: An Alternative within an Alternative”, Revista Brasileira de Alternative Dispute Resolution (RBADR), Volume 5 Issue No.10, 2023 (ISSN No.: 2596-3201).
- 2022: “Negotiation for Human Beings: What, Why and How?”, Revista Brasileira de Alternative Dispute Resolution (RBADR), Volume 4 Issue No.8, 2022 (ISSN No.: 2596-3201).
- 2021: “Multi-tier Arbitration: A Right to Write your own Arbitral Award”, DMEJL, Volume 2, 2021 (ISSN No.: 2583-2743).
- 2020: “Arbitration to achieve Sustainable Goal of ‘Access to Justice’ in India: A Constitutional and Jurisprudential Perspective”, National Capital Law Journal (NCLJ), 2020 (ISSN No.: 0972-0936).
- 2019: “The Non-Binding Nature of the Binding Mediation”, NLUA Law and Policy Review (NLUALPR), Volume IV, 2019 (ISSN No.: 2455-8672).
Research Projects
- Major Project:
2023-2025: Project Co-Director, “The Role of Ashram Schools in Protecting the Human Rights of Tribal Students in Odisha: An Empirical Study”.
Funder: Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). - Minor Project:
2024-2025: Lead Project Coordinator, “Analysing the Potentiality of Legal Framework in Combating Sextortion: Evolving Issues and Concerns (A Pilot Study with reference to NCT of Delhi)”.
Funder: National Law University Odisha (NLUO).2023: Project Director, Small Grant Event Project, “GAJE-NLUO Mediation and Negotiation Conclave 2023”.
Funder: Global Alliance for Justice Education (GAJE).
Others:
- Papers Presented
- 2023: “The Consent Award in India: An Alternative within an Alternative”, International Seminar under the GAJE-NLUO Mediation and Negotiation Conclave 2023, Centre for Mediation and Negotiation, National Law University Odisha, Cuttack, Odisha, India in collaboration with Global Alliance for Justice Education, August 11, 2023.
- 2021: “The Role of Communication in Conflict Resolution”, First Annual Conference, Office for National Unity and Reconciliation, BMICH, Colombo, Sri Lanka, October 30th, 2021.
- 2021: “Multi-Tier Arbitration: A Right to Write Your Own Arbitral Award”, International Seminar, 2021 (Virtual), Army Institute of Law, Mohali and Strauss Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University Caruso Law School, October 18th, 2021.
- Participation in Conferences :
2024: 9th Conference of the International Society for Child Indicators (ISCI) on “Global Childhoods: Critical Perspectives Promoting Theoretical, Empirical and Policy Understandings”, Bhubaneshwar, India (14th – 16th February, 2024). - Participation in Faculty Development Programmes (FDPs):
- 2024: Faculty Development Programme on ‘Reforms in Criminal Laws of Bharat’, Law Centre-II, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi in collaboration with Mahatma Hansraj Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Centre (MH-MMTTC), Hansraj College, University of Delhi (20th – 26th July, 2024).
- 2023: Faculty Development Programme on Teaching and Research, National Law University Odisha, Cuttack (15th – 19th November, 2023).
- 2023: One Week 2nd International Faculty Development Programme (IFDP) on ‘Law and Social Sciences’, School of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies and Department of Sociology, Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab in collaboration with Kathmandu School of Law, Nepal (18th – 23rd September, 2023).
- 2021: Online Faculty Development Programme (FDP) on ‘Challenges of Online Teaching – Learning’, National Law Institute University, Bhopal (24th – 30th September, 2021).
- 2021: Online Faculty Development Programme (FDP) on ‘Law and Economics’, Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab (26th – 30th July, 2021).
- 2019: Faculty Development Programme (FDP) on ‘Teaching Law for Social Justice’, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi (17th – 24th March, 2019).
- Participation in Workshops:
- 2023: Restorative Justice Week 2023 on the theme ‘Restorative Practices for Young Adults’, Accords International in collaboration with European Forum for Restorative Justice, DC Peace Team, USA; Restorative Response Baltimore, USA; and Building a New Reality, USA (November, 2023).
- 2022: National Workshop-cum-Consultation on MOOCs (Multimedia Content Development and Delivery for Digital Education), Birla Global University, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha (3rd – 4th November, 2022).
- 2022: 10 Days ICSSR Sponsored Online Research Methodology Workshop at NLUO (23rd May – 2nd June, 2022).
- 2022: 6 Hours Workshop on Mental Health First Aid, “Campus Ambassadors for Mental Health”, NLUO (15th April, 2022).
- 2021: ‘Global Conflict and Dispute Resolution Workshop 2021’, Research Cell Delhi Metropolitan Education, GGSIPU (6th – 11th September, 2021).
- Participation in Training Programmes:
- 2021: 45 hours Mediation Training Programme, National Law University Odisha Centre for Consumer Law in collaboration with Delhi HC Mediation and Conciliation Centre “Samadhan” and State Institute of Consumer Awareness (SICA) FS and CW Department, Government of Odisha (26th – 31st December, 2021).
- 2018: One Day Training Programme on Human Rights, Law Centre – II, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi (20th October, 2018).
- Participation in Seminars/Webinars:
- 2024: 2nd Bangalore Dispute Resolution Conclave, School of Law, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bangalore (11th – 13th July, 2024).
- 2022: One day ‘NCW Eastern Region Consultation on Review of Criminal Laws – Improvement in Status of Women’, Centre for Women and Law, NLUO & Centre for Criminal Justice and Human Rights, NLUO in collaboration with National Commission for Women, India at NLUO (17th February, 2022).
- Participation as Resource Person :
- 2024: Course Instructor, Training Workshop on the New Criminal Laws for Officers of Odisha Police, National Law University Odisha, Cuttack in collaboration with Biju Patnaik State Police Academy, Bhubaneswar (July 14 – August 24, 2024).
- 2024: Special Lecture, Career Advancement Law Workshop 2024, Department of Law, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University) Institute of Management and Research, New Delhi (June 3, 2024).
- 2024: Panelist, The 4th Annual Mediation Clinic Conference on ‘Learning Through Practice: Mediation Clinics and Mediator Education’, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow (March 21, 2024).
- 2024: Judge, 11th National Law University Odisha Bose & Mitra & Co. International Maritime Arbitration Moot (IMAM) 2024 (March 14 – March 17, 2024).
- 2024: Panelist, NCW Regional Consultation on Rights of Women under Property Laws (Eastern India), organised by the Centre for Women and Law, National Law University Odisha in collaboration with National Commission for Women (January 12, 2024).
- 2023: Judge, Paper Presentations of NCW sponsored National Seminar on ‘Women in Decision Making Roles in Corporates’ organised by the Centre for Women and Law, National Law University Odisha in collaboration with National Commission for Women (September 15, 2023).
- 2022: Judge, 9th National Law University Odisha Bose & Mitra & Co. International Maritime Arbitration Moot (IMAM) 2022 (March 24 – March 27, 2022).
- 2022: Judge, MAIMS 2nd Justice J.S. Verma Memorial ADR & Client Counselling Competition 2022, Department of Law, Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Management Studies (MAIMS) (March 23 – March 27, 2022).