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Prof. Dr. Balram K Gupta
Senior Advocate | Professor Emeritus
A Career Bridging Law, Academia, and Judicial Education
A Unique Distinction
Dr. Gupta holds the rare and unique distinction of being the only person in the country to be honored with the titles of both Professor Emeritus and Senior Advocate.
Key Highlights
- Honorary Chief Advisor (Academic), Chandigarh Judicial Academy
- Director, National Judicial Academy, India
- Director (Academics), Chandigarh Judicial Academy
- Dean, Faculty of Law, Guru Nanak Dev University
- Professor & Chairman, Dept. of Laws, Panjab University
- Social Scientist, London School of Economics (LSE)
- Parliamentary Fellow, ICPS, New Delhi
Major Honors
- Punjab State "NAYAY RATTAN" Award (2006)
- Rotary International Lifetime Achievement Award (2016)
- Distinguished Achiever, PU Global Alumni Meet (2019)
- Declared "Loco Parentis" by Uttarakhand High Court for the preservation of glaciers (2017)
Academic Foundations
Hailing from Chandigarh, Dr. Balram K. Gupta graduated in Law in 1966 and completed his Masters in 1968. He began his career as a Parliamentary Fellow at ICPS, New Delhi, and joined the Faculty of Law, Panjab University, in 1969. His doctoral work on the “Constitutional Feasibility of Ombudsman / Lokpal in India” was highly praised and found useful in drafting legislation.
Academic & International Leadership
He became the youngest Professor of Law at Panjab University in 1983 and served as Chairman of the Department of Laws from 1986 to 1989. During his teaching career, Dr. Gupta worked at the London School of Economics (1978), lectured at numerous UK universities, and participated in the U.S. Government’s International Visitors Programme in 1988, interacting with legal professionals across the United States.
Transition to the Bar
In 1991, Dr. Gupta joined the legal profession. He was designated as a Senior Advocate by the full Court of Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2002—the first time a former Professor of Law was designated in the region. He successfully argued many legal battles in constitutional and service law before the Supreme Court and various High Courts.
Pinnacle of Judicial Education
In 2013, Dr. Gupta was appointed by the Chief Justice of India as Director of the National Judicial Academy (NJA), India. His contribution was highly acknowledged by the then Chief Justice of India, Hon’ble Mr. Justice H.L. Dattu:
Pinnacle of Judicial Education
In 2013, Dr. Gupta was appointed by the Chief Justice of India as Director of the National Judicial Academy (NJA), India. His contribution was highly acknowledged by the then Chief Justice of India, Hon’ble Mr. Justice H.L. Dattu: “You have been a great asset to the National Judicial Academy… and you have made this institution much stronger by your intellectual contribution… I have to appreciate the quality of your leadership as Director of NJA…“
He returned to Chandigarh in 2015 to serve as Director (Academics) at the Chandigarh Judicial Academy, where his passion for judicial education continues.
Author
His autobiography, “My Journey with Law & Justice”, was released on January 29, 2022, by Hon’ble Dr. Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, now the Chief Justice of India.
Honours & Distinctions
- 2022: Delivered the third Smt. Sushma Swaraj Memorial Lecture at the Department of Laws, Panjab University, on "Independent India Belongs to the Constitution."
- 2021: Appointed Honorary Professor Emeritus for life by Amity University, Punjab, earning the unique distinction of being both Professor Emeritus and Senior Advocate.
- 2019: Honoured as a Distinguished Achiever at the 1st Global Alumni Meet of Panjab University for his "Stellar contribution to the field of Law."
- 2018: Delivered an Oration to Sri Lankan Judges in Colombo on “Strengthening and Weaving the Judicial Human Fabric,” chaired by Hon’ble Justice Eva Wanasundera, Judge, Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.
- 2017: Declared by the Division Bench of the High Court of Uttrakhand as "Loco Parentis" for the preservation of all glaciers, rivers, and natural elements in the state.
- 2016: Delivered the Fifth Justice Shacheendra Dwivedi Memorial Lecture at the National Law Institute University, Bhopal.
- 2016: Honoured with the Life Time Achievement Award by Rotary International (District 3080) for connecting Rotary and the Judiciary.
- 2013: Honoured by the Panjab University, Faculty of Law on its convocation as "an exceptional academician, a connoisseur of words, a thorough teacher and an able administrator..."
- 2011: Honoured by the Central Administrative Tribunal Bar Association, Chandigarh, for his invaluable contribution.
- 2008: Honoured as Distinguished Alumni on the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of Panjab University, Chandigarh.
- 2006: Honoured with the Punjab State Award of "NAYAY RATTAN" by Aggarwal Foundation, Punjab.
- 2002: Designated as Senior Advocate by the full court of Punjab & Haryana High Court.
