GCAI launches YUKTI internship programme at Nyaya Nirmaan conclave

The General Counsels’ Association of India (GCAI) on September 19 launched YUKTI – Youth Unchained Through Knowledge and Transformative Internships, a nationwide mentoring and internship initiative aimed at equipping aspiring lawyers with structured mentorship and practical exposure.

Announcing the scheme at GCAI’s conclave Nyaya Nirmaan: Reimagining India’s Legal Foundations for Viksit Bharat @ 2047 in New Delhi, GCAI Co-Founder Dr. Akhil Prasad said:

“YUKTI is our investment in the future of India’s legal fraternity. By providing structured mentorship and exposure to real-world challenges, we aim to cultivate a generation of lawyers who are not only skilled in jurisprudence but also imbued with integrity, innovation, and a global outlook.”

After the announcement of YUKTI, a lamp-lighting ceremony was led by Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Harsh Malhotra, Law Commission of India Chairman Justice Dinesh Maheshwari, Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra, and NLSIU Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Sudhir Krishnaswamy.

Malhotra, in his remarks, said India’s Constitution provided the flexibility to reimagine colonial-era legal frameworks in line with the government’s vision of “minimum government, maximum governance.” He highlighted reforms such as the Jan Vishwas Acts of 2023 and 2025, the repeal of over 1,500 obsolete laws, the decriminalisation of offences under the Companies Act, and the streamlining of GST and corporate compliance processes, while stressing that reducing pendency in tribunals and courts remained a critical challenge.

Krishnaswamy stressed the importance of reinstating the rule of law as a core commitment of governance, noting that India consistently ranked in the lower tiers of global indices despite its strong legal inheritance. He argued that legal system reform should be viewed as central to the country’s future, alongside health and education, and called for legal education to broaden pathways beyond litigation to include in-house, transactional, and emerging technology careers.

Justice Maheshwari reflected on his experiences as a lawyer, judge, and now Law Commission chair, highlighting fraternity as a hallmark of the legal profession. He emphasised fairness and corrective measures as intrinsic to justice delivery and expressed confidence that the legal community would continue to adapt and contribute to India’s march towards Viksit Bharat 2047.

The inaugural session was followed by a discussion on the transformation of the legal profession. Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri (Singapore International Commercial Court and former Supreme Court judge) was joined by MP Sasmit Patra, Dr. Rajiv Mani (Secretary, Legislative Department, Ministry of Law & Justice), Mahaveer Singhvi (Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs), advocate Mahesh Agarwal, and Dr. Anshul Vikram Pandey (Founder, PanScience Innovations). The panel was moderated by Mini Menon VandePol (Baker McKenzie), with context from Hemant Kumar (Group General Counsel, Larsen & Toubro)

This was followed by a session on India’s legal education and youth featuring Archana Mayaram (Economic Adviser, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship), Dr. Manoj Kumar (Additional Secretary, Ministry of Law & Justice), Prof. Gunjan Gupta (Delhi University), Prof. Avinash Dadhich (Dhirubhai Ambani University), Prof. Ivneet Walia (RGNUL), and Prof. Risham Garg (NLU Delhi). It was moderated by Prof. Ashish Bhardwaj (Dean, BITS Law School) with reflections from Nusrat Hassan (Dentons Link Legal) and Arpita Sen (formerly Intel Technology India)

This was followed by a session on damages in commercial law, chaired by Senior Advocate Gourab Banerji. The panel included Pinky Anand (Senior Advocate, Supreme Court), Sudhanshu Swaroop KC (Barrister, Twenty Essex), Sudha Rani Relangi (Member, Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board), Jagdish Chandra Solanki (Adviser, Ministry of Law & Justice), and Daksh Ahluwalia (Principal, Aikyam Law Offices). The discussion was moderated by Sherina Petit (Stewarts Law) with commentary from Dr. Vivek Mittal (Hindustan Unilever Limited).

Justice Hemant Gupta (Chairman, India International Arbitration Centre) then led a conversation on strengthening India’s arbitration and mediation ecosystem. The panel comprised Anju Rathi Rana (Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs), Marike Paulsson (Secretary General, Council for International Dispute Resolution, Bahrain), Shwetha Bidhuri (Singapore International Arbitration Centre), Tariq Khan (Dubai International Arbitration Centre), and Tejus Chauhan (International Chamber of Commerce, Paris). The session was guided by Sharmistha Chakrabarti (Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom) with reflections from Rajiv Chauhan (formerly Pernod Ricard)

The conclave concluded with a valedictory session titled Reimagining Justice Delivery, featuring Sanjeev Sanyal (Member, Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council) together with Supreme Court Justices Manmohan and Pankaj Mithal.