Justice A.K. Sikri was enrolled as an Advocate in July, 1977 with Bar Council of Delhi and started practicing in Delhi. He has conducted cases of all types with specialization in Constitutional, Labour – Service Matters and Arbitration Matters. He was counsel for numerous Public Sector Undertakings, Educational Institutions, Banks & Financial Institutions and various Private Sector Corporations; was also a law teacher in Campus Law Centre, Delhi University from 1984-89; was Vice-President, Delhi High Court Bar Association during 1994-95; was member of the Governing Body of various colleges. Justice Sikri was designated a Senior Advocate by Delhi High Court on 30.9.1997. Justice Sikri was appointed as Judge of High Court of Delhi on 7.7.1999. He became the acting Chief Justice of Delhi High Court on 10.10.2011 and was elevated as the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court on 23.9.2012. He was elevated as a Judge of Supreme Court of India on 12.4.2013. Some of the important judgments he has delivered are in the area of Human Rights, on Transgenders, Euthanasia, Disability, Child trafficking, Right of a convict to have parole, Sentencing, Child Labour and Juvenile Delinquents. Has also rendered judgments in the field of commercial and arbitration laws, tax laws, Intellectual Property matters and economic laws. Justice Sikri was chosen as one of the fifty most influential persons in Intellectual Property in the world in the survey conducted by prestigious international organisation viz. Managing Intellectual Property Association (MIPA) for the year 2007 in recognition to his contribution to the growth of Intellectual Prosperity Laws through his judgment. Justice Sikri has been conferred Doctorate of Laws i.e. LLD Honoris Causa by Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University, Lucknow in November, 2013. Justice Sikri holds the following positions at present in various bodies. He is Member of General Body as well as Academic Council of National Judicial Academy; Member of the Executive Council as well as General Council of National Law School of India University, Bangalore; Appointed as member of the Committee on Restatement of Law by the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India. Executive Member, International Law Association (India Branch). Chairman (Academic Council), Indian Law Institute. Justice Sikri earlier was Chancellor, National Law School, Delhi; Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi National Law School, Patiala; Executive Member, Indian Law Institute; Member Research Advisory Committee, Law Faculty, University of Delhi; President, INSOL (India Chapter); Secretary, International Law Association (India Branch).
Dr. Nasim Zaidi, IAS from 1976 batch of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, served as 20th Chief Election Commissioner of India from 2015 to 2017 after earlier working as Election Commissioner from 2012 to 2015. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry, a Master degree in Public Administration (MPA) from Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Finance from Indian Institute of Finance. During his career spanning several years, he has served in increasingly responsible positions in the state of Uttar Pradesh and Government of India (GOI). At the GOI, he contributed richly to civil aviation sector for over a decade continuously and superannuated in 2012 as Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation. He has worked as the Permanent Representative of India at the ICAO Council, a specialized UN agency dealing with international aviation. At ICAO, he acted as Chairman of the Administration Commission in the global General Assembly of 191 states in 2010, a rare distinction for India. He also held position of Joint Secretary in Civil Aviation, Chairman, Airport Authority of India and the Director General Civil Aviation handling regulatory responsibilities of aviation safety and security standards, continuity and efficiency of air transport and ATM services. Amongst several contributions in civil aviation, he formulated a Financial Restructuring and Turn Around Plan of Air India in 2012, initiatives such as setting up of Independent Air Accident Investigation Bureau and National Aviation University and investment in airport infrastructure. He was actively associated with the setting up of Greenfield airport Hyderabad and Bengaluru and privatization of Delhi and Mumbai airport including drafting of Concession Agreements, the first in the country for PPP airports and formulation of Airport Economic Regulatory framework including flow of huge investment in setting up world class airports. As a constitutional authority, he brought about several institutional reforms at ECI including introduction of digital technology in several areas such as inclusive voter registration, election monitoring and 100% use of VVPAT with EVMs
Navtej Sarna was India’s Ambassador to the United States till Dec 2018. As a professional diplomat since 1980, Sarna also served as India’s High Commissioner to the UK, Ambassador to the State of Israel and Secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs. He has the distinction of being India’s longest serving foreign office spokesperson, having held that post for six years. In the earlier years of his service, he served in various diplomatic posts in Moscow, Poland, Bhutan, Iran, Washington and Geneva. Navtej Sarna is also an established author of fiction and non-fiction. His work includes the novels The Exile and We Weren’t Lovers Like That, the short story collection Winter Evenings, non-fiction works The Book of Nanak, Second Thoughts and Indians at Herod’s Gate, as well as two translations, Zafarnama and Savage Harvest. He has been a regular contributor to several Indian newspapers and journals as well as to the Times Literary Supplement, Financial Times (UK), London Magazine and the BBC
Ambassador Dr. Mohan Kumar spent 36 years in the Indian Foreign Service and had an outstanding tenure ending as India's Ambassador to France based in Paris. During the time in the Foreign Service, he did a variety of postings in Geneva, Paris, Belgrade, Rabat, Colombo and Bahrain. He was India's lead negotiator at first the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) and then the WTO (World Trade Organization). After retirement in 2017, he joined O.P. Jindal Global University as Dean/Professor of Diplomatic Practice which he continues to date. Ambassador Dr. Kumar was the Chairman of the Delhi-based policy think tank, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) from June 2018 to June 2022. He is the author of two books titled: India’s Moment and Negotiation Dynamics of the WTO. Kumar speaks fluent French and is thus both a francophone and a francophile. He holds a MBA from the Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi and a PhD from the prestigious French University, Sciences Po. Mohan Kumar is married and has two grown children based in Canada, He loves reading, travel, music and cricket.
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Vrinda Sarup is a retired IAS officer of the 1981 batch, who has served as Secretary to Govt of India in the Dept. of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resources Development and in the Dept. of Food and Public Distribution. Ms. Sarup has worked in the sector of education for over 23 years both at the Central and State Governments, where she has experience both as an implementer and policy maker. She has been closely associated with the formulation and implementation of some of the most significant national programmes of the District Primary Education Programme and the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan for elementary education and the revised Vocational Education Programme at secondary/senior secondary level. She has been central to the revision of pre-service teacher training programmes and the national pupil assessment and the assessments of school performance systems., Ms. Sarup continues to be associated with the education and social sectors after retirement.
Rajeev Devaraj, Executive Editor, Mathrubhumi News Television Channel, one of the most seasoned Television journalists from Kerala, Rajeev Devaraj currently heads Mathrubhumi News Channel, as its Executive Editor. In his career that spans more than two and half decades, Rajeev has held key positions in most of the leading news channels in Kerala. Kicking off his career as a cub reporter in 1996, he soon became one of the most credible faces in Kerala for socio-political reporting, especially election reporting. In addition to being a correspondent, Rajeev has proven himself as an anchor, producer, and strategist. He has envisaged and launched many successful shows during his assignments with various channels and production houses. Rajeev has been prompt enough to respond, adopt and adapt to the revolutions of digital era and took up many initiatives to converge the traditional Television with digital platforms to maximize the reach of the produced content.
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M Gunasekaran is the Editor-in-Chief of Sun News and has been associated with Sun News since 2020. With a journalism career spanning over 25 years, he is one of the prominent media persons in Tamil Media, having excelled in print, television, and digital formats in both English and Tamil news spaces. He began his career in the mid-1990s with Dinamani, a Tamil newspaper. In 2004, he joined The Hindu as a reporter, he then worked with The Times of India as a political reporter and thereafter he held a senior editorial position at The Deccan Chronicle. In 2012, he became the senior editor of Puthiya Thalaimurai TV. He was also the founding editor of News18 Tamil Nadu. Gunasekaran is known for consistently upholding the practices of ethical journalism, newsroom diversity, and mentoring numerous journalists throughout his career. He is a recipient of the Ramnath Goenka Award, the Vikatan Awards, and the Bala Kailasam Award for his quality journalism.
Vaishali Sood is an Editor and Creative Director with nearly 25 years of both broadcast and digital experience. She is currently working as Senior Managing Editor at NDTV. She previously worked at The Quint, CNN-IBN and Headlines Today. In 2017, she won the prestigious National Film Award for best film in education category at the 65th National Awards, the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism, and Indian Television Academy and Indian News Journalism Awards.
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Ranjit Kumar, Managing Editor, Times Now Navbharat is a seasoned journalist and media strategist with over two decades of experience in the television news industry. As the Managing Editor of Times Now Navbharat, he plays a pivotal role in shaping the editorial direction of the channel, delivering insightful and impactful news coverage to a national audience. Throughout his career, Ranjit Kumar has held senior editorial positions at leading Hindi news channels, including Aaj Tak, Star News, and News Nation. His expertise spans political journalism, ground reporting, and news programming, making him a respected name in the industry. He is best known for producing and anchoring critically acclaimed shows like On the Spot at News Nation, which set a benchmark in field reporting and investigative journalism. Currently, he spearheads Desh Ka Mood Meter—Times Now Navbharat’s flagship 6 PM show—bringing in-depth analysis of key national and political developments. Under his leadership, Times Now Navbharat has strengthened its positioning as a credible and authoritative Hindi news channel, known for its sharp debates, exclusive reports, and election coverage. His deep understanding of political dynamics, combined with a commitment to journalistic integrity, continues to drive impactful storytelling and audience engagement.