On January 1, Professor Ved Prakash Nanda, a distinguished Indian American legal scholar, passed away. Renowned for his contributions to literature and education, he had been honored with the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian award, in 2018. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed their condolences on his demise.
Professor Nanda, serving as a Distinguished University Professor and Thompson G. Marsh Professor of Law at the University of Denver, Colorado, founded the International Legal Studies Program in 1972. The Ved Nanda Center for International and Comparative Law, established in his honor, reflected his significant impact on legal education.
Apart from being an Honorary Professor of Law at the University of Delhi, India, Nanda held leadership roles in global international law organizations, including the World Jurist Association, American Society of International Law, and American Law Institute.
Acknowledged for his extensive contributions, Nanda received Honorary Doctorates of Law from Soka University, Tokyo, Japan, and Bundelkhand University, Jhansi, India. He also served as a US delegate to the World Federation of the United Nations Associations and was involved in various NGOs, such as the Uberoi Foundation for Religious Studies.
Expressing grief over Nanda’s passing, Prime Minister Modi emphasized his commitment to legal education, while Home Minister Shah noted Nanda’s profound impact on fortifying Indo-US relations. External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, recognizing Nanda’s contributions to the India-US relationship, expressed sorrow over his demise.
