UNION LAW SECRETARY

Personal details:

Experiences:

• Legal Experience:
  • Union Law Secretary w.e.f 14.6.2016- till date.
  • Additional Secretary from 29.3.2016 to 13.6.2016 in the Department of Legal   Affairs and also performed administrative functions.
  • Joint Secretary & Legal Adviser in the Main Secretariat w. e. f.  11.08.2011 to September, 2011 and 01.04.2014 to 28.03.2016 and dealt with ‘Administration’, ‘Judicial Section’ and other advice matters to various ministries.
  •  Legal Adviser to Railways w.e.f. 20.05.2013 to 01.04.2014 and dealt with all legal issues such as advice, conveyancing, legislative proposals, appointment of counsels, litigation etc.
  • Joint Secretary and Incharge, Branch Secretariat, Kolkata w.e.f. September, 2011 to January, 2012 and dealt with all legal issues arising out of various central Govt. Offices in Eastern Region including North East in day to day functioning and also looked after litigation in the region besides administrative functions being Branch Head.
  • Legal Adviser to Ministry of Defence w.e.f. 2009 to 2010 and dealt with all     legal issues including litigations pertaining to concerned departments including three Armed forces, DRDO, DGDE etc.
  • Legal Adviser to Ministry of Labour  w.e.f. 2005 to 2009 and dealt with all legal matters arising out of the Ministry, DGET, DGLW, CLC, ESIC, VVGNLI and EPFO including the legislative proposals.
  • Additional Legal Adviser in CBI (in the officer of Directorate of Prosecution, CBI) w.e.f. 2004 to 2005 and dealt with Legal Advice matters and cases of prosecution/sanction of prosecution. Thereafter, posted as Additional Legal Adviser in Main Secretariat w.e.f. May, 2005.
  • Private Secretary to Law Minister (Sh. Arun Jaitley) during period of 2002 to 2004.
  • OSD to Law Minister (Sh. Arun Jaitley and Sh. Ravi Shankar Prasad) and looked after all legal matters and other functions in the Ministers’ Office. Thereafter, appointed as Deputy Legal Adviser w.e.f. 5.12.2000.
  • Assistant Legal Adviser in Finance Group and Special Assistant to Law Minister (Dr. Thambi Durai) 1998 to 1999 and thereafter worked in finance group upto 27.07.2000.
  • Assistant Legal Adviser in the Main Secretariat w.e.f. 23.06.1993 to 1998 which was advising inter alia PMO, Cabinet Secretariat, MHA, M/o External Affairs, Environment & Forest, Parliamentary Affairs, Rajya Sabha/Lok Sabha Secretariat, President Secretariat.
  • Law Officer in National Airports Authority (now Airport Authority of India) w.e.f. 1992 to 22.06.1993 and dealt with court cases, tendered Legal Advice and handled arbitration cases etc.
  • Section Officer (G) in CSIR w.e.f November, 1988 till 1992 and among others dealt with administration, vigilance, court cases and arbitration matters. Assistant w.e.f. 10.04.1984 till Nov, 1988 in Ministry of Urban Development (formally, Ministry of Works & Housing) and dealt with court cases and arbitration matters in CPWD.
• As an Advocate/Counsel :
  • Enrolled as an Advocate in Bar Council of Delhi vide Enrolment No. D/224/1993.
  • Notified as the Govt. Pleader in 2005 for Delhi High Court.
  • Notified as the Govt. Pleader in 2011 for Calcutta High Court, Kolkata.
• Adjudicatory functions :
  • Arbitrator w.e.f 2005 till 2009 in the matters of DGS&D, Ministry of Defence/Urban Development and dealt with many arbitration cases and passed several awards
  • Arbitrator appointed on 10.07.2012 in the Ministry of Civil Aviation and has given award.
  • Presiding Officer of the Tribunal constituted under ‘Cost and Works Accountant Act, 1959’ read with rule 3 of the Cost and Works Accountants (Election Tribunal) Rules, 2006.
  • Appellate Authority under the guidelines of Permanent Machinery of Arbitrator, by Department of Public Enterprises.

International Conferences/Meetings:

• As one of the member of the Commonwealth Expert Group in the Expert Group Meeting for the Asia Region drafted ‘the Model Bill on Competition’ in its meeting held at Singapore during 10-14 May, 2004.The Bill was later on approved by the Commonwealth Heads of States.
• Attended the International Colloquium on the 80^th Anniversary of the ILO Committee of Experts on “Protecting Labour Rights as Human Rights, Present & Future of International Supervision” on 24^th & 25^th November, 2006 at ILO Geneva.
• Participated in an Indian Delegation to South Korea in 2006 which comprised of industrialists, trade union leaders and government officials and had discussions and interactions with the government agencies, industrial workers, trade union leaders and employers and studies the labour laws of South Korea.
• Participated in WIPO Diplomatic Conference to adopt a Treaty on Protection of Audio Visual Performance and signed the Final act on behalf of India in China in June, 2012.
• Led an Indian delegation as a Leader to Algeria and negotiated Mutual Legal Assistant Treaty in Civil & Commercial Matters during May 10-12, 2015 at Algiers.
• Led Indian Delegation in the 49^th Session of United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) at New York from 11^th to 15^th July, 2016.
• Participated as Speaker in conference on ‘International arbitration in BRICS- Challenges, Opportunities and Road Ahead on 27.08.2016 at Vigyan Bhawan and summed up the proceedings of all the three sessions i.e., Arbitration and dispute resolution: Focus on BRICS countries; Dispute settlement and enforcement of Treaty Awards and Towards establishment of an international arbitration mechanism in BRICS in valedictory session.
• Led the Indian Delegation in 49^th session of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), New York, 27^th June- 15^th July 2015.
• Brief the counsel at the Hague, Netherlands alongwith Hon’ble MoS Shri P.P. Chaudhary about India’s stand on Devas Antrix matter in October, 2016.
• Participated in the seventh St. Petersburg International Legal Forum at St. Petersburg, Russia from 16th to 20th May,2017.
• Led the Indian delegation at the Working Group of Expert meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Members, Ministers of Justice at Tashkent, Uzbekistan from 10th to 11th August, 2017.
• Participated along with Hon’ble MLJ Shri Ravi in the Triennial Commonwealth Law Minister and Senior Officers of law Ministry meeting at Nassau, the Bahamas from 16th to 19th November, 2017.
• Led the delegation for discussing the grounds for challenging the award in the matter between before the Federal Tribunal at Geneva from
• Led the delegation for attending the first meeting of experts on preparing the Sixth Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Member States’ Ministers of Justice, Forensic activity and legal services expert working groups for the Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States’ Ministers of Justice, and the same was chaired by the Kyrgyz party at Bishkek (Krgysthan) on 3-4 May, 2018.

Trainings (within India and Abroad):

• Participated and successfully completed the Group Training Course at Fair Trade Commission Japan from August, 25, 2004 to September, 22, 2004 organised by the Japan International Cooperation Agency under the International Cooperation Program of Government of Japan. During the period, made a presentation on ‘Mergers and Acquisitions’.
• Participated in the International Labour Standards for Judges, Lawyers and Legal Educators conducted by International Labour Organisation (ILO) at Turin from 13^th Nov 2006 to 23^rd Nov 2006.
• Participated in Management Orientation Programme i.e. short term course on TP for Directors/ Dy. Secretaries of Central Staffing Scheme conducted by the Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi during July 21^st to July 25^th, 2003.

IT related work in Department of Legal Affairs:

• Patron of ‘Digital India Programme’ which was launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 2^nd July 2015.
• Successfully implemented various IT related projects in Department of Legal Affairs-Legal Information Management and Briefing System (LIMBS), National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDSAP), E- Office, Online Notary Application, Content Management Framework (CMF), etc.
• In a very short time span, he took this programme as a challenge and has proved his capabilities in achieving greater heights and successfully implemented these IT projects within Department of Legal Affairs and in 58 ministries.

Lectures/Talks:

• Presented a paper on ‘Outline on Legal Frame Work on Solid Waste Management in India’ in an international conference organized by Jadavpur University, West Bengal, Kolkata during 2011.
• Took a training session during a training course for vigilance officers of Railways at Training Institute at Baroda (Gujarat) during 2013.
• Gave lecture on ‘Costs and Procedure for Time Bound Arbitration’ during the International Conference on Reforms in Arbitration, conducted by the International Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution on Saturday the 22^nd November, 2014 at 10:15 am at Sovereign 1 Hall, Le Meridian, Janpath, Windsor Place, Janpath, New Delhi 110001.
• Lecture in seminar on ‘Dimensions of Gender Justice-Armed Forces; a Legal Perspective organized by Institute of Military Law, Kamptee during 4.09.2015-5.09.2015.

Article:

Article on ‘Outline on Legal Frame Work on Solid Waste Management in India’ published in Military Law Journal, Institute of Military Law (Supplimentary-2015)(A-1 to A-13).

Awards/Certificates:

• Participated and presented one paper on ‘Environment & Sustainable Development’ in the 5^th Indian Congress on Quality, Environment, Energy and Safety Management System held at SCOPE Complex, Lodi Road, New Delhi during March 10-11, 2007 and was awarded ICQESMS 2007 EXCELLENCE AWARD by the Hon’ble Minister of Labour & Employment for the presentation delivered by him on 11^th March, 2007.
• Cabinet Secretariat’s performance Management Division awarded certificate for attending with distinction workshop on ‘Creating and Implementing Sevottam Compliant Citizens’/ Clents’ Charter during March, 15-16, 2012 at New Delhi.
• Participation Certificate in the Sensitization Programme on ‘Prevention of HIV/AIDS’ for the officials of M/o Labour & Employment organized by the V.V Giri National Labour Institute during Sept., 29, 2006 at VVGNLI Campus, NOIDA.
• National Law day Award.
• SKOCH Award for achievement in LIMBS on 23.06.2018

Has been members of various Committees including: