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India Gazette
30-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Union Law Minister inaugurates legal affairs training, emphasises ethics and lifelong learning in governance
New Delhi [India], June 30 (ANI): Highlighting the importance of continual skill development in public administration, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Arjun Ram Meghwal, inaugurated a five-day capacity-building programme for Joint Secretaries and senior officers from the Department of Legal Affairs. The training, hosted at the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) in New Delhi, is scheduled from June 30 to July 4, 2025. Jointly organised with the Department of Legal Affairs, the initiative is aimed at equipping Indian Legal Service (ILS) officers--particularly new appointees and those preparing for higher responsibilities--with strategic acumen and institutional insight. The programme is a part of the Government's broader reform blueprint under Mission Karmayogi, focused on enhancing governance through continual professional development. In his keynote address, Minister Meghwal shared insights from his extensive administrative journey, encouraging officers to integrate ethical values, empathy, and constitutional fidelity into decision-making. Reflecting on pivotal moments in Indian history, such as the 1975 Emergency, he urged officials to balance rules with moral clarity and 'use their heart' when navigating complex dilemmas. He also praised the nation's evolving governance narrative--from women's empowerment to women-led leadership--and acknowledged Law Secretary Dr. Anju Rathi Rana for personifying this shift through her leadership. Addressing the gathering, Dr. Rana described the programme as a catalyst for transformation rather than a simple orientation. She emphasised the evolving role of Joint Secretaries as not just administrators but as pivotal architects of policy execution. Citing the repeal of colonial-era criminal laws and the introduction of fresh legislation, she underscored the necessity for emotionally intelligent, responsive, and reform-driven legal leadership. 'The desk of a Joint Secretary isn't just for moving files--it's where national vision is translated into impact,' she noted, advocating for a shift from rigid proceduralism to dynamic, outcome-focused governance. Professor Suresh Misra of IIPA welcomed participants and reaffirmed the institute's commitment to building excellence in public administration. He highlighted the programme's objectives: boosting institutional efficiency, cultivating accountability, and embedding a role-based approach within legal frameworks. As the first training module of its kind for Departmental Joint Secretaries, the programme is tailored to sharpen strategic thinking, promote legal-policy synergy, and foster leadership that is both visionary and people-centric. It also aligns with the Government's long-term development goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047, preparing legal professionals to blend jurisprudential depth with forward-looking governance. (ANI)
India Gazette
15-06-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
"India will become the arbitration hub," says Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal
New Delhi [India], June 15 (ANI): In an effort to strengthen India's status as a global hub for arbitration, a National Conference on Institutional Arbitration was convened by the Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice, in collaboration with ONGC and the India International Arbitration Centre (IIAC), a release said on Sunday. This event took place at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on June 14. According to the release, the day-long Conference brought together senior officials from the Ministry of Law and Justice, representatives of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), legal experts and arbitration professionals. The aim was to promote institutional arbitration as the preferred mode of commercial dispute resolution and to highlight the IIAC as a globally competitive arbitral institution. Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice & Parliamentary Affairs, Arjun Ram Meghwal, graced the occasion as Guest of Honour. In his address, he bridged India's modern legal aspirations with its philosophical history, referencing the country's ancient tradition of consensual dispute resolution and stating that arbitration is deeply rooted in Indian culture. Affirming the Government's vision with conviction, he stated that 'India will become the arbitration hub.' The inaugural session opened with a welcome address by Hon'ble Shri Justice Hemant Gupta (Retd.), Chairperson, IIAC, who discussed key challenges hindering the growth of institutional arbitration in India, particularly the continued reliance on ad hoc mechanisms. He emphasised the transition from the erstwhile International Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ICADR) to IIAC as a significant move by the Government and stressed the need for Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) to adopt structured institutional frameworks. Avnit Singh Arora, Director, Department of Legal Affairs, followed with a detailed presentation outlining the legislative strides and policy reforms undertaken by the Department over the last decade. Arun Kumar Singh, Chairman, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), brought an industry perspective, calling for faster, institutionalised arbitration processes. He remarked, 'Timeliness, not timelessness, should be the ethos of our legal systems.' Shri K Moses Chalai, Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises, echoed the thought, highlighting that effective arbitration directly affects governance, operational efficiency and the economic health of CPSEs. Dr. Anju Rathi Rana, Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law & Justice provided a comprehensive overview of legal reforms -- from repealing obsolete laws to digitising the court system. She emphasised the Government's vision to develop IIAC as a world-class arbitral institution, at par with leading international arbitration centres, particularly by incorporating dispute resolution clauses in PSU contracts that designate IIAC as the preferred institution of arbitration. Following the inaugural session, the Conference featured four technical sessions, each delving into key aspects of institutional arbitration. In addition to the participation of over 150 distinguished delegates, the Conference witnessed strong virtual engagement with over 700 views on Facebook and more than 900 live views on YouTube. The first session, 'Strengthening Dispute Resolution in PSUs: The Role of Institutional Arbitration', addressed public sector-specific challenges and institutional arbitration's potential in transforming the dispute resolution landscape, particularly concerning infrastructure and public sector contracts. Speakers highlighted the need for capacity-building and called for structured, institutional processes over fragmented ad hoc mechanisms, with support from bodies like IIAC. The second session took a close look at the IIAC (Conduct of Arbitration) Regulations, 2023, breaking down key provisions and their practical relevance. A short film was also screened, showcasing IIAC's state-of-the-art infrastructure and signalling India's readiness to handle complex, high-stakes arbitrations. The third session, 'Best Practices During Arbitral Process -- A Discourse', focused on procedural and institutional best practices to enhance the effectiveness of arbitration. Speakers advocated for structured case management, suggesting that their regularisation under institutional rules would enhance clarity, expedite timelines, and minimise ambiguities in the arbitral process. The fourth session focused on learnings from international jurisdictions and the way ahead for the arbitration ecosystem in India. The discussion included global practices, emergency arbitration and access to legal research tools to make arbitration more accessible. The technical sessions concluded with a vote of thanks by Ganesh Chandru, part-time member, IIAC. As India rapidly expands its global footprint, the Conference set the tone for the country's next leap in arbitration excellence, anchored in institutional strength and international best practices. (ANI)
The Hindu
14-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
India will soon become the hub of arbitration, says Law Minister
New Delhi Emphasising the importance of Institutional arbitration, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Saturday (June 14, 2025) said that India needs a strong ecosystem of alternative dispute resolution that will reduce the burden on courts and also strengthen the environment of economic confidence in the country. Speaking at a conference on 'Institutional Arbitration: An Effective Framework for Dispute Resolution', organised by the Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice, at Bharat Mandapam, Mr. Meghwal said that the organisations should be ready to be both flexible and rigid, depending on the need of the hour, to ensure that its interests remain protected and it contributes towards nation building. 'We need to provide a vibrant ecosystem for Alternative Dispute Resolution, which includes arbitration, mediation and conciliation. This will offer additional convenience to investors and businessmen. More importantly, it will reduce the burden of cases on Indian courts,' the Minister said. Terming arbitration as part of Indian culture, Mr. Meghwal said that the concept got 'distorted' somewhere down the line and other countries became the hub of international arbitration. 'India will soon emerge as the new hub of international arbitration,' he added. The Minister's remarks came after ONGC Chairman Arun Kumar Singh pointed out that there is a need to make the procedure of arbitration 'time-bound', which is quintessential for the business ecosystem. He also said that the arbitration should be 'more corporate' and 'less legal'. Pointing out the government's efforts to make arbitration faster and easier, Law Secretary Anju Rathi Rana said that a recent directive from the Department of Legal Affairs pushes for reducing judicial interventions and using institutional and not ad hoc arbitration. Chairman of India International Arbitration Centre, Justice (retd) Hemant Gupta, pushed for a change in the mindsets of parties to go for institutional arbitration, rather than an ad hoc system to settle commercial disputes.
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Business Standard
14-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
ONGC chief urges timely arbitration as Meghwal backs institutional model
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Saturday pitched for institutional arbitration, saying it was part of Indian culture after the ONGC chairman urged making arbitration proceedings timely and not "timeless". The government has been pushing for institutional arbitration instead of ad hoc arbitration asserting it is efficient and more result oriented. The industry on the other hand feels arbitration in India is slow, inefficient and plagued with red tape. Singapore, London and Dubai have emerged as hubs of international arbitration to settle high stakes, high value commercial disputes. Addressing a conference on institutional arbitration here, the minister also said that organisations should be ready to be flexible and rigid, depending on the need of the hour, to ensure that its interests remain protected and it contributes towards nation building. Meghwal felt that officers should be willing to take risk and not follow the beaten track to ensure financial interests of their organisation. Meghwal lamented that while arbitration was part of Indian culture, the concept got "disturbed" somewhere and other countries became hub of international arbitration. He hoped that India will soon emerge as the new hub of international arbitration. Earlier, speaking on the occasion, ONGC Chairman Arun Kumar Singh said time is money, and hence there was a need to make the procedure of arbitration timely and not "timeless". He said settlement of commercial disputes in a time-bound manner was quintessential for the business ecosystem. He also felt that there was a need to make arbitration "more corporate and less legal". Singh said disputes largely arise out of three reasons: executives being excessively conservative who pass the buck to save their skin; excessive optimism of vendors who take contracts at low bids and subsequently fail to complete the job and create disputes to wriggle out of the situation; and rigidity in contracts, which make completing tasks difficult. Law Secretary Anju Rathi Rana said the government has been consistently trying to make arbitration and mediation processes faster and easier. She recalled a recent directive from the Department of Legal Affairs, which pushes for reducing judicial interventions and using institutional and not ad hoc arbitration. The chairman of India International Arbitration Centre, Justice (retd) Hemant Gupta, said the mindset has to change for parties to go for institutional arbitration, rather than an ad hoc system to settle commercial disputes. He said people will have to choose institutional arbitration to understand its benefits over court-appointed arbitration.
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Business Standard
14-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Law minister backs institutional arbitration as part of Indian culture
Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Saturday pitched for institutional arbitration, saying it was part of Indian culture after the ONGC chairman urged making arbitration proceedings timely and not "timeless". Addressing a conference on institutional arbitration here, the minister also said that organisations should be ready to be flexible and rigid, depending on the need of the hour, to ensure that its interests remain protected and it contributes towards nation building. Meghwal felt that officers should be willing to take risk and not follow the beaten track to ensure financial interests of their organisation. Meghwal lamented that while arbitration was part of Indian culture, the concept got "disturbed" somewhere and other countries became hub of international arbitration. He hoped that India will soon emerge as the new hub of international arbitration. Speaking on the occasion, ONGC Chairman Arun Kumar Singh said time is money, and hence there was a need to make the procedure of arbitration timely and not "timeless". He said settlement of commercial disputes in a time-bound manner was quintessential for the business ecosystem. He also felt that there was a need to make arbitration "more corporate and less legal". Singh said disputes largely arise out of three reasons: executives being excessively conservative who pass the buck to save their skin; excessive optimism of vendors who take contracts at low bids and subsequently fail to complete the job and create disputes to wriggle out of the situation; and rigidity in contracts, which make completing tasks difficult. Law Secretary Anju Rathi Rana said the government has been consistently trying to make arbitration and mediation processes faster and easier. She recalled a recent directive from the Department of Legal Affairs, which pushes for reducing judicial interventions and using institutional and not ad hoc arbitration. The chairman of India International Arbitration Centre, Justice (retd) Hemant Gupta, said the mindset has to change for parties to go for institutional arbitration, rather than an ad hoc system to settle commercial disputes. He said people will have to choose institutional arbitration to understand its benefits over court-appointed arbitration. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
