V. Balakista Reddy (ON EOL)

Since the beginning of his legal education, Prof. Dr. V. Balakista Reddy has always been keen on acquiring knowledge in the field of international law. His graduation and post-gradation studies continued in the evening colleges, given the fact that he had to sustain himself financially by working during day time in various private organizations. After graduating in law, he pursued post-graduate studies in International law. Through perseverance and determination to excel in this field of law, not only did he concentrate on his research to understand the principles, but also always tried to keep abreast with the developments in the field through active participation in Seminars and Workshops and presenting papers.
After having broad exposure to the field of international law, he chose to dwell into a subject where there is a blend of law, sciences and application of technology for the betterment of the society. Hence,  he chose Air and Space law as the field of law for to research and work upon as a part of his research while pursuing his M. Phil and thereafter Ph.D. at Jawaharlal Nehru University (J.N.U.)., New Delhi.  
He chose the field of Air and Space Law not only for his passion for aircrafts and other objects in flight, but also because this area is an emerging area and does not have many academicians or research scholars, who could contribute to the development of this field, which was and is even  growing at a rapid pace. Subsequently, he also co-edited two books with his teachers, which is again a unique achievement in JNU.
It was with the above solid academic and research credentials in this field that he joined NALSAR University of Law, as Assistant Professor in the year 2000. Since then he has closely been associated with the development of NALSAR brick by brick. He was elevated as Associate Professor in 2005 and as Professor in 2009. Thus, in his teaching career, he has grown step by step not just expanding his teaching horizons in the process but also being cognizant of the issues concerning teachers at every level especially which come with a new university. 
Apart from being recognized for his teaching capabilities by being given timely promotions, he has also been closely associated with the administrative dimensions of this university as he has served in different capacities. He was appointed as the Convener, Examinations Committee and the Proctor. He has also served as the Convener, Moot Court Committee. In all these capacities he had to work with faculties from different backgrounds and students at both graduation and post-graduation levels. These positions also allowed him to introduce several reforms which he had always planned as being necessary to the working and development of this university in three important areas which are central to any university: academics and examinations, moot court and student discipline.
In the recent past, he has been contributing to the field of air and space law (including other subjects in international law) by teaching, introducing innovative and value-added courses, publishing, organizing national and international conferences/workshops at the national level and offering advice to the Government of India in matters concerning aerospace law in particular and other international laws in general. Over the past few years he has also been working on draft space legislation for India in association with Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). At NALSAR, he has spearheaded many unique and contemporary courses on air and space law namely, Masters in Aviation Law and Air Transport Management (MALATM), Masters in Space and Technology Law (MSTL), Post-Graduate Diploma in Aviation Law and Air Transport Management (PGDALATM) and Post-Graduate Diploma in Remote Sensing and GIS Law (PGDRSGL). These courses often receive overwhelming response from the working professionals. 
Today’s academic education is not only restricted to giving lectures but he believes in organizing different International and national level extracurricular legal activities in university. He has always focused on organizing International/National Moot Courts Competition, Conferences, Workshops, Debate, Literary & Cultural Fest, Penal Discussion, Guest Lectures, Parliamentary Recommendation on bills, Parliamentary debate, Zest etc. He was also instrumental in bringing the final rounds of Manfred Lachs Moot Court competition to NALSAR campus where three sitting World Court judges (Their Excellencies Abdul G. Koroma, Peter Tomka and Hisashi Owada) judged the final round of the competition. He recently had the privilege of organizing the 78th Session of the Institute of International Law (Institut de droit international), an institute which has won Nobel Peace Prize in 1904 for its contribution to the field of International Law and peaceful settlement of disputes. It has as its members many scholars of international law including sitting and retired judges of International Court of Justice and many other international tribunals, professors from Harvard, Oxford and Yale. 
In terms of career aspirations, he has always enjoyed teaching law in general and teaching Air and Space Law in particular and would in future also intends to direct his energies towards teaching this specialized field of law. Especially, from a developing country perspective, where people are not aware of the significance of this emerging field of law or subject per se, it is important to bring in awareness and contribute to the building-up of knowledge base and talent pool. This branch of law assumes great significance both politically and economically on an international scale in the increasingly globalized world. In future, India (globally) will be confronted with many legal battles in this emerging field of law. Therefore, there is urgent need for teachers and lawyers and other stakeholders to equip themselves aerospace specialization in order to effectively face the emerging challenges in this field of law, which may a potential to turn catastrophic in nature if proper and timely initiatives not taken.
Last year, he was also invited by the Moragoda International Law Trust, Sri Lanka to deliver a series of lectures on international law and international space law to law faculty and students at the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Colombo from September 1-10, 2016. Every year the Trust invites a distinguished European and American Professors from abroad to offer a series of lectures/seminars for a period of 10 days every year. This is the first time they have invited an Indian to conduct the above said lectures.
In the past couple of years, he has also ventured in the field of land rights and land laws. At present in NALSAR he is heading the Centre for Tribal and Land Rights (CTLR), wherein, the Centre under his aegis has undertaken several prestigious projects with the Central and State Government including the AP Land Acquisition Bill 2016 for the Government of Andhra Pradesh, Review and Revision of Land Laws for the State of Telangana, redrafting of the Telangana (Agricultural Produce and Livestock) Market (Amendment) Rules, 2016 and Re-drafted The Telangana (Agricultural Produce and Livestock) Market (Amendment) Act, 1966. CTLR has also undertaken training of one thousand paralegals who helped in resolving more than one million land problems of the poor; provided training to various stakeholders working on land (revenue, forest and tribal welfare officials); and undertaken several legal literacy initiatives. CTLR in collaboration with Landesa and Legal Services Authority established a first-of-its kind Land Rights Clinic at the premises of Warangal District Court, Telangana State. Until now, the Clinic provided legal advice to about 1000 persons with land problems and helped them in getting their land problems resolved, organized land legal literacy programmes in about thirty villages and about ten thousand rural people reached through the legal awareness meetings organized in the villages. About 4000 various stakeholders including paralegal volunteers, SHG women, Anganwadi workers, students, police officers, revenue officers, Advocates, media persons and members of civil society organisations were trained on land matters. 
Apart from assisting the state and central governments on land matters, he has also served as the Honorary Coordinator for the Project on “Drafting of State Rules for the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 in the State of Telangana”, sponsored by Government of Telangana, Hyderabad, Principal Coordinator for the Legislation Drafting Project on Skill Development for the Government of Andhra Pradesh, Coordinator for the Revenue Officers Training Programmes on “Enhancing the knowledge of land laws, improving legal drafting, order writing skills and reinforcing the pro-poor perspective”, to be conducted in all 10 districts of Telangana, sponsored by Government of Telangana, Coordinator for the Forest Officers Training Programmes on “Land Encroachment, Legal and Policy Perspectives”, to be conducted in all 10 districts of Telangana, sponsored by Government of Telangana, Coordinator for the Revenue Officers Training Programmes on “Land laws, legal drafting and order writing skills”, to be conducted in all 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh, sponsored by Government of Andhra Pradesh. He has also served as the Principal Investigator for a Research study on “Transfer of Technology in Indian Defence Sector: IPR Issues and Challenges”, sponsored by Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), Ministry of Defence, Government of India, Hyderabad.
As a founding faculty of NALSAR, his mission is to promote HSI students with a diverse, intellectually rigorous learning environment in its broad international, intercultural, and interdisciplinary contexts so that they may acquire the professional skills and ethical grounding to become excellent lawyers and leaders in their communities and chosen professions; Secondly to promote knowledge and understanding of the law and related disciplines by providing its faculty with the resources and intellectual environment to excel in teaching and scholarship; Thirdly, to ensure that all members of its law school community have the opportunity, and are encouraged, to provide service to the profession and to the local, national, and international community;  to create a community, including our alumni, committed to excellence, honesty, openness, diversity and collegiality; and to support and advance through our teaching, scholarship, and service an institutional commitment to justice, equality, the highest ethical standards and a system based upon the rule of law.
His hobbies include reading newspapers, mentoring, farming, swimming and travelling and interacting with people from different walks of life.