91探花

Peace justice and strong institutions
Peace justice and strong institutions Courses on human rights Academic freedom Student Council and Elected Representation Engagement with the government Participation in government research Education for lawmakers and policymakers Neutral platform to discuss issues Local Stakeholder Engagement Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy Whistleblowers Confidentiality Ethics Training for Employees Sustainability Committee at JGU Ethical Organisational Culture Ethical ComplianceStudent Led Societies for Sustainability

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (SDG 16)

SDG 16 asks institutions to support peaceful and inclusive societies, give everyone access to justice and build accountable institutions. For 91探花, which includes Jindal Global Law School, this is a goal close to its academic identity: it teaches, researches and practises justice, and it holds itself to the standards of integrity, openness and participation that it expects of others.

The progress report below sets out JGU's work against SDG 16 for 2025–26. The associated pages describe the policies, partnerships and practices behind it.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions|Sustainable Development Goals: Progress Report | Reporting Year 2025–26

1. Introduction & Institutional Commitment

Sustainable Development Goal 16 promotes peaceful and inclusive societies, access to justice for all and effective, accountable institutions. As a university that includes Jindal Global Law School, JGU has an unusually direct stake in the goal, and SDR 2026 describes IMAANDAAR as both a tangible and educational representation of SDG 16.

IMAANDAAR, inaugurated on 18 November 2025, gives the goal a physical home: a moot court with seating for more than 600, a mediation venue, a negotiation studio, an arbitration centre and conciliation chambers that revive the lok adalat tradition. JGU research is cited by policy bodies 187 times, including 140 governments and government bodies in over 35 countries. Funded projects examine justice in Haryana's jails, peace and reconciliation, and a centre for justice, law and society, while sixty-six cross-listed electives and international summer and winter schools with Harvard, UNITAR and Oxford prepare students for work in the field.

This report presents JGU's progress, key initiatives, and impact under SDG 16 across the following areas: rule of law and access to justice, effective, accountable institutions, inclusive decision-making and public access to information and fundamental freedoms.

2. Key Figures at a Glance

Indicator Achievements
Citations of JGU research by policy bodies 187
Governments / government bodies citing JGU research 140 across 35+ countries
Share of policy-cited publications related to the SDGs >60%
IMAANDAAR seating capacity World's largest moot court, 600+ seats
Electives mapped to SDG 16 66

3. Research Progress

4. Policy & Governance

JGU's governance framework includes a Governing Council, an Office for Ethical Compliance, an Anti-Ragging Cell and Right to Information (RTI) disclosures. The university's policies on academic freedom, anti-bribery and corruption, and engagement with local stakeholders set out how it expects power to be used and shared, and its policies on non-discrimination and anti-slavery protect the people who study and work on campus.

Policy objectives:

  • Integrity, accountability and ethical compliance across institutions.
  • Alternative dispute resolution as a pathway to peace and access to justice.
  • Academic freedom.

Oversight & responsibility:

The Governing Council is the university's highest governing body. The Office for Ethical Compliance oversees integrity and compliance, the Office of Academic Governance and the Office of Dispute Resolution support academic freedom and grievance redressal, and the Anti-Ragging Cell and the statutory committees on discrimination and harassment protect the campus community.

5. Key Initiatives & Projects: Progress Against Targets

JGU's progress is reported against all twelve UN SDG 16 targets. Where a target falls to governments, this is stated plainly. Target wording follows the United Nations.

Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.

JGU's contribution: JGU maintains an Anti-Ragging Cell and statutory committees against sexual harassment and discrimination, and it conducts research on peace and reconciliation. The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) Peace and Reconciliation Challenge is a project funded by the Research Council of Norway, in collaboration with the University of Oslo (PI Prof. Indranil Mukhopadhyay, Jindal School of Governance & Public Policy). A Zero Tolerance Day was held on 6 February 2025 with support from Equality Now, UK (PI Shama Banoo Hussain Abbasi, Jindal Global Law School).

Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.

JGU's contribution: JGU's Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy prohibits forced, bonded and child labour and requires anti-slavery due diligence clauses in vendor contracts. This target is otherwise a matter for child protection authorities, and JGU does not run an institutional programme for it.

Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.

IMAANDAAR (International Mooting Academy for Advocacy, Negotiation, Dispute Adjudication, Arbitration & Resolution) was inaugurated on 18 November 2025 by Justice Surya Kant and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, with a re-enactment of the Kesavananda Bharati case to emphasise judicial independence. Its ten pillars include a thirteen-judge en-banc court, a mediation venue, a negotiation studio, an arbitration centre (Locus Arbiti) simulating UNCITRAL, ICC, LCIA and SIAC rules, and conciliation chambers reviving the lok adalat tradition. Alongside it, "Women Behind Bars: An Assessment of Justice in Jails of Haryana" (Haryana State Commission for Women; PI Sneha Hooda, Jindal Global Law School; INR 1,15,000) examines access to justice in prisons, and the Centre for Justice, Law and Society is supported by a donation from the New Venture Fund, USA (PI Prof. Dipika Jain, Jindal Global Law School). JGU's research on access to justice and abortion law continues under Prof. Dipika Jain.

Key data:

Indicator This Year Target / Benchmark
IMAANDAAR Inaugurated 18 November 2025; 600+ seats; 13-judge court Alternative dispute resolution as a pathway to peace and access to justice
Funded justice projects Women Behind Bars ; Centre for Justice, Law and Society -
Electives mapped to SDG 16 66 Largest, alongside SDG 8

Target 16.4: By 2030, significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime.

JGU's contribution: this is a matter for governments and law enforcement. JGU's contribution lies in teaching and research, and in its anti-bribery and corruption policy, which commits the university to refusing any involvement in organised crime, corruption or bribery.

Target 16.5: Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms.

JGU's Office for Ethical Compliance and its Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy set the standard for integrity in all dealings of the university. JGU research on regulating corporate political engagement is cited in an OECD report (2022).

Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.

JGU is governed through a Governing Council, an Office for Ethical Compliance and RTI disclosures. Energy, environment and green audits, required by NAAC, are carried out every year and were rated satisfactory. JGU also reports its sustainability performance each year in the Sustainable Development Report.

Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.

Students take part in university life through student bodies with elected representation, and the university's Local Stakeholder Engagement Policy gives residents, local government and civil society a way to take part in decisions that affect them. IMAANDAAR's focus on empowering women lawyers and encouraging international engagement supports inclusive and representative decision-making, as seen in its global community of legal practitioners and judges. Elected student bodies. Student Councils and student societies are elected bodies, so the students who lead campus life are chosen by their peers. This gives students a direct say in who represents them and how student activities are run.

Board nominations in societies (from Spring 2026). In Spring 2026, the Office of Student Affairs introduced a policy under which existing board members of a society may nominate themselves for positions higher than the one they previously held. The policy is designed to give more students the opportunity to become board members, while ensuring continuity within each society as experienced members move into senior roles.

Target 16.8: Broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance.

JGU's contribution: the JGU–UNITAR Winter School on Multilateral Diplomacy and Global Governance and the Oxford International Law & Global Governance programme prepare students for work in global institutions. JGU also belongs to the United Nations Academic Impact. Participation in global governance bodies is otherwise a matter for governments.

Target 16.9: By 2030, provide legal identity for all, including birth registration.

JGU's contribution: this target is for national governments. It is not addressed through institutional action.

Target 16.10: Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements.

JGU makes information public through RTI disclosures and its published reports, and protects academic freedom through its Academic Freedom Policy. In 2026 JGU will engage with the Scholars at Risk (STAR) Network, an alliance of more than 500 institutions in 40 countries that protects scholars and promotes academic freedom.

Target 16.a: Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, for building capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime.

IMAANDAAR brings the judiciary, the Law Ministry and global legal practitioners together with students, and the Centre for Water, Ocean Governance & Sustainability Law (CWOGSL) supports legal professionals and policymakers in India and other developing countries in crafting effective legal and policy measures.

Target 16.b: Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development.

JGU's Policy on Non-Discrimination against Transgender Persons, Policy on Non-Discrimination against Women and Anti-Discrimination Committee apply the law within the university. Its research on transgender rights, access to justice and abortion law (Prof. Dipika Jain) informs legal reform.

Policy impact:

JGU research is cited 187 times by 140 governments and bodies in 35+ countries and by UNESCO, WHO, UNICEF, UNCTAD, CGAP, the World Bank, the World Economic Forum and the Asian Development Bank. Examples include a World Bank paper on climate and social sustainability in fragility, conflict and violence contexts (2026) and an OECD report on regulating corporate political engagement (2022).

Annual external audits:

Energy, environment and green audits satisfy NAAC requirements and were rated satisfactory.

Academic freedom and the STAR Network:

JGU will engage with the Scholars at Risk Network (500+ institutions in 40 countries) in 2026.

6. Programmes, Research & Curriculum

  • 66 electives mapped to SDG 16 (largest alongside SDG 8); spotlight: 'Ethos of Environmental and Constitutional Law in India and Beyond'.
  • Study-abroad programmes: Human Rights in Development (Harvard), International Criminal Law and Justice (UNITAR), International Law & Global Governance (Oxford), JGU–UNITAR Winter School on Multilateral Diplomacy and Global Governance.
  • Research themes: transgender rights, access to justice and abortion law (Prof. Dipika Jain); water and ocean governance and sustainability law (CWOGSL).
  • Judiciary, Law Ministry and global legal practitioners engaged through IMAANDAAR.

7. Community, Partnerships & Outreach

  • Haryana State Commission for Women; Research Council of Norway; University of Oslo; New Venture Fund; UNITAR.
  • Equality Now, UK (Zero Tolerance Day, 6 February 2025).
  • Policy bodies that cite JGU research: UNESCO, WHO, UNICEF, UNCTAD, CGAP, World Bank, World Economic Forum and the Asian Development Bank.
  • Neighbouring communities: free consultations and medicines for underprivileged local residents and construction workers at the JGU Health Centre.

8. Events & 91探花 Timeline

Inauguration of IMAANDAAR - 18 November 2025

Inaugurated by Justice Surya Kant and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, with a re-enactment of the Kesavananda Bharati case to emphasise judicial independence.

Zero Tolerance Day - 6 February 2025

Held with support from Equality Now, UK (Jindal Global Law School).

Convocation 2025: Sending Graduates into Public Life

JGU’s convocation is where the university’s work on justice, law and public institutions meets the people it has prepared. The 14th Annual Convocation was held on 29 and 30 July 2025 at the Naveen Jindal Sports Academy, and more than 4,400 students from all 12 schools and institutes of the university graduated. For a university that teaches law, governance and public policy, the ceremony was the moment at which a new generation of lawyers, policymakers, public servants and leaders was sent out to serve society.

The convocation drew an unusual gathering of public office-holders. Five Governors attended: Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi; Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati, Governor of Odisha; Shri Arif Mohammed Khan, Governor of Bihar; Justice (Retd.) S. Abdul Nazeer, Governor of Andhra Pradesh; and Shri Shiv Pratap Shukla, Governor of Himachal Pradesh. Their presence was seen as a celebration of federalism in the Constitution of India. They were joined as guests of honour by Justice (Retd.) Gita Mittal, Chairperson of the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council; Ms. Ravneet Kaur, Chairperson of the Competition Commission of India; Shri R. Venkataramani, Attorney General for India; Dr. Wilima Wadhwa, Director of the ASER Centre; and the Ambassadors of Indonesia and Denmark.

The addresses spoke directly to the themes of SDG 16. Mr. Naveen Jindal, Founding Chancellor, told graduates that degrees and qualifications open doors, but that integrity, compassion and cooperation will decide how far they go. Prof. (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, Vice Chancellor, spoke of academic freedom and the pursuit of institutional excellence as the foundations of the university’s work. The Governors spoke of public service, moral values and nation-building, and the guests of honour spoke of the rule of law, responsibility to society and a developed India by 2047.

IMAANDAAR: Where Graduates Learn the Practice of Justice

The values spoken of at convocation have a physical home on campus. IMAANDAAR (International Mooting Academy for Advocacy, Negotiation, Dispute Adjudication, Arbitration & Resolution), housed within Ny膩y膩bhy膩sa Mandapam, the world’s largest moot court facility, was inaugurated on 18 November 2025 by Justice Surya Kant and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, with a re-enactment of the Kesavananda Bharati case to emphasise judicial independence. Known as a “Temple of Justice”, it has a moot court seating more than 600, a thirteen-judge en-banc court that simulates a Supreme Court bench, a mediation venue, a negotiation studio, an arbitration centre that simulates UNCITRAL, ICC, LCIA and SIAC proceedings, and conciliation chambers that revive India’s tradition of lok adalats and restorative justice. Its emphasis on negotiation, mediation and arbitration promotes peaceful, non-adversarial ways of resolving disputes, and its focus on empowering women lawyers and encouraging international engagement supports inclusive and representative decision-making. Graduates who enter the legal profession will find in IMAANDAAR a place where JGU students, judges and practitioners continue to train and learn together.

How the Convocation Contributes to Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  • Strong institutions (Targets 16.6 and 16.7): The convocation is a formal, public and transparent act of the university, held in the presence of constitutional office-holders and heads of statutory bodies, including the Competition Commission of India and the Attorney General for India. It brings the university and public institutions together, and shows JGU as an accountable institution that works openly with others.
  • Rule of law and access to justice (Target 16.3): Many of the graduates are lawyers. The convocation sends them into the legal profession, the judiciary, public service and policy, where they will help strengthen the rule of law and access to justice, and IMAANDAAR gives the university a lasting place for advocacy, mediation, arbitration and conciliation training. Speakers from the bench and bar, including a former Chief Justice and the Attorney General, spoke to graduates about their responsibilities.
  • Integrity and ethics (Targets 16.5 and 16.6): The Chancellor’s address placed integrity and compassion ahead of qualifications, and the Governors spoke of moral values and public service, which reinforce the university’s anti-bribery and corruption commitments. Integrity is also the idea behind IMAANDAAR’s name.
  • Academic freedom and fundamental freedoms (Target 16.10): The Vice Chancellor’s address named academic freedom as a foundation of the university’s work, consistent with JGU’s Academic Freedom Policy and its plan to engage with the Scholars at Risk Network in 2026.
  • Inclusive and participatory decision-making (Target 16.7): The convocation celebrated federalism and brought together voices from several states, public bodies, civil society and diplomatic missions, which models the inclusive and participatory dialogue that SDG 16 promotes.
  • Partnerships (Target 16.a and SDG 17): The attendance of the Ambassadors of Indonesia and Denmark, and the announcement of a new agreement with the University of Copenhagen, show JGU building international cooperation on education and institutions.
  • Public service by graduates: By sending more than 4,400 graduates into public life, the university adds to the pool of people who will lead and serve peaceful, just and accountable institutions.

The convocation reflects the values that IMAANDAAR and the university’s teaching and research express every day: a commitment to integrity, to the rule of law and to accountable institutions, and a belief that graduates should carry these into public life.