The Arbitration and Conciliation Council successfully hosted a conference on the 18th of February 2024 (Sunday) at the Indian Society of International Law in Delhi, from 2 pm to 6 pm. The conference featured two rounds of Panel Discussion and a Paper Presentation segment.
The event commenced with the presence of Chief Guest, Shri Murari Tiwari (Chairman of the Bar Council of Delhi), who was warmly welcomed by Dr. Deepika Saini (National President) and Bhavy Jyoti Sharma (Vice-President), alongside other esteemed council members. Mr. Tiwari initiated the proceedings by lighting the Diya and delivering an impactful speech. Dr. Saini emphasized the significance of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and expressed her belief that diverting conflicts away from litigation holds the potential to address immediate concerns and prevent future disputes and animosities between parties.
Following this, the first round of the Panel Discussion, titled “Adaptive Arbitration: Tailoring Processes to Meet the Needs of Tomorrow,” took place. The panel, comprising Ms. Achint Kaur, Mr. Subhash Bhutoria, Ms. Radhika Arora, and Mr. Varun Pathak, engaged in a thoughtful discussion. Ms. Mahek Rathee moderated the panel, and the participants highlighted the crucial role of arbitration in various legal domains, including in-house counsel, law firms, and advocacy. The importance of well-drafted arbitration clauses in agreements was also underscored.
Subsequently, the second round of the Panel Discussion, “Beyond Traditional Boundaries: Exploring New Avenues for Arbitration,” commenced. The panel, featuring Ms. Kriti Johari, Mr. Jeevan Ballav Panda, Ms. Urvashi Pathak, and Ms. Daisy Pallawi, engaged in a forward-looking discussion. Mr. Param Bhamra served as the moderator, and the panel advocated for a new approach, positioning arbitration as the primary choice for dispute resolution rather than merely an alternative to litigation. The Panel Discussion was followed by a Hi-tea session.
The subsequent segment of the event was the Paper Presentation Competition, with judges Mr. Akash Gupta, Ms. Kriti Johari, and Mr. Param Bhamra. Five teams presented their papers:
Team 1: Palak Kumari and Vani Sharma – “Arbitration in Digital Economy”
Team 2: Khushi Goel and Parth Tyagi – “Climate Change and Dispute Resolution”
Team 3: Bhavy Jyoti Sharma and Divya Ahuja – “Arbitration and Data Privacy: DPDP Act”
Team 4: Simran Setia – “Arbitration and ESG”
Team 5: Diksha Arora – “Arbitration and Climate-related Dispute”
The judges provided insightful feedback, emphasizing the importance of a structured research paper, including a clear research question and issue. The results were announced as follows:
Winner: Bhavy Jyoti Sharma and Divya Ahuja
1st Runner-up: Khushi Goel and Parth Tyagi
2nd Runner-up: Simran Setia
The conference concluded with the felicitation of winners, star performers, judges, and a concluding speech by President Dr Deepika Saini.
