IITKGP

Balraj Kaur Sidhu

Assistant Professor Grade-I

Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law

+91-3222-284870

bksidhu@rgsoipl.iitkgp.ac.in

Research Areas

  • International Law
  • Environmental Law
  • Courts and Tribunals
  • Information Technology Law
  • International Human Rights Law
My current work is on International Environmental Dispute Settlement with Special Reference to Proposed Environment Court. The said work seeks to examine various international dispute settlement forums that are entrusted with responsibility for resolution of international environmental disputes as well as role of courts and tribunals as a part of larger architecture of international environmental governance (IEG).

My research interests include environmental law & policy in general and legal framework for conservation of migratory species in particular. I have already done some ground work on the legal and institutional framework for the protection of Gorillas and migratory species of Bats. Interestingly, in recent years there has been a spurt in multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) under the 1979 CMS umbrella convention that prescribe higher normative and scientific threshold for conservation of migratory species of wild animals. Cumulatively, it poses a formidable challenge to make sense of these complex scientific-legal instruments. Currently, I am also working on the cutting-edge issue of crimes against the environment. This entails looking at environmental harm that occurs during armed conflicts as well as peace times.
 
In the past I have contributed in the strategic knowledge through research papers published in journal of international repute on a range of cutting-edge environmental as well as issues of international environmental dispute settlement, international environmental institutions, green courts and tribunals, transboundary water resources governance, Polar Regions, natural resource management and conservation issues.

Other areas of interest include international courts & tribunals, new technologies and international law, international humanitarian law; international criminal justice mechanisms, legal aspects of transitional justice including sexual and gender based violence in conflict and dealing with the past especially public apology. 
  • Research Handbook on Global Climate Constitutionalism Desai B.H., Sidhu B.K. By Climate change as a common concern of humankind: Some reflections on the international law-making process 153-175 (2019)
  • Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones: A Challenge for International Law? Desai B. H., Sidhu B. K. By Economic and Political Weekly LII 15-18 (2016)
  • Country Studies: India Desai B. H., Sidhu B. K. By The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Environmental Law 212-231 (2019)
  • Sustainable Cities in India: A Governance Challenge Sidhu B. K. By International Yearbook of Soil Policy & Law 29-54 (2018)
  • Legal Regulation of the New Digital News Media: Are we at Crossroads? Sidhu B. K. By Entertainment Law Review 32 79-82 (2021)
  • International Courts and Tribunals the New Environmental Sentinels in International Law Desai B. H., Sidhu B. K. By Environmental Policy & Law Vol.50 17-33 (2020)
  • Plastics Pollution: A New Common Concern of Humankind Sidhu B. K., Desai B. H. By Environmental Policy and Law 48 252-255 (2018)
  • Governing the Internet: Need for Effective Cybersecurity Policy, Law and Institutional Frameworks Sidhu B. K. By Economic and Political Weekly LII 64-67 (2017)
  • Yoga as Traditional Medicinal Knowledge: Revisiting the Legal Debate on IPR and Public Domain Sidhu B. K. By Environmental Policy and Law 47 99-105 (2017)
  • Mapping Forest Governance in India: Reflections on Policy, Law and Institutional Framework Desai B. H., Sidhu B. K. By Environmental Policy & Law Vol.47, Issue 1 34-43 (2017)

Principal Investigator

  • Digital Platforms and Protection of Consumer Interests: A Contextual Analysis of Consumer Laws in India Indian Council of Social Science Research

Ph. D. Students

Avin Tiwari

Area of Research: Public Law

Tarique Faiyaz

Area of Research: Public Law