About the Program:
National Law University, Jodhpur organised a “One-Day Stakeholders’ Consultation and Panel Discussion on Law and Medicine: Strengthening Interdisciplinary Dialogue on the Legal Regulation of Medical Science and Research” in collaboration with AIIMS Jodhpur on 11 th April, 2026 to promote interdisciplinary deliberations in the field of law and medicine.
The event was graced by the presence of Hon’ble Mr. Justice Vinit Kumar Mathur (Rajasthan High Court), Prof. (Dr.) Harpreet Kaur, Vice Chancellor, National Law University, Jodhpur, Dr. Goverdhan Dutt Puri, Executive Director, AIIMS Jodhpur, Prof. (Dr.) Avinash Kumar Agarwal, Director, IIT Jodhpur, Dr. Rajeev Raghuvanshi (Drugs Controller General of India – DCGI) and Dr. Sunita Pankaj, Registrar, National Law University, Jodhpur, along with other distinguished dignitaries from the legal, medical, and academic communities.
Program Structure:
The programme comprised of two technical expert sessions on ‘Med-Tech Regulations’ and ‘Medicine and Intellectual Property’, respectively and was followed by a Panel Discussion on “Legal and Ethical Concerns surrounding Euthanasia” in view of recent judicial developments. The program witnessed participation of Doctors, Medical Practitioners, Faculty Members, Students as well as Research Scholars from institutions including National Law University, Jodhpur, AIIMS, Jodhpur as well as Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur.
Session 1: MedTech Regulations:
The discussions on medical technology regulation highlighted the urgent need for balanced frameworks that encourage innovation while ensuring patient safety and ethical compliance.
The sessions brought attention to emerging challenges in regulating AI-based diagnostics, digital health platforms, and evolving standards of accountability in healthcare delivery. The resource persons for the session included Dr. Chandranand P. S., Director at IQzyme Medtech Pvt Ltd., Mrs. Rama Venugopal, Executive Director, Value Added Corporate Services P. Ltd. & Joint Coordinator, South India, AIMED (Association of Indian Medical Device Industry), Dr. Shatrunajay Shukla, Assistant Scientist, Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India and Prof. (Dr.) Shilohu Rao NJP, Professor, National Law University, Jodhpur. Prof. Rao emphasized upon the need to build MedTech Jurisprudence owing to the current fragmented status of law so as to
address concerns such as regulatory vacuum, issues of accountability, reporting of defect in medical devices, bearing of risk, etc.
Session 2: Medicine and Intellectual Property
Equally insightful were the deliberations on intellectual property rights in the medical and healthcare sector. Hon’ble Justice Vinit Kumar Mathur emphasized the importance of protecting innovation in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical devices, while also maintaining accessibility and public interest. The exchange of perspectives helped us understand how intellectual property law can both incentivize research and address broader societal needs. Dr. Goverdhan Dutt Puri, Executive Director, AIIMS Jodhpur highlighted practical issues in patent exploitation and transfer through case studies. Dr Kanika Dhingra, Assistant Professor, NLU Jodhpur delivered a session on ‘Securing Patent Rights and their commercialisation.’
Panel Discussion on Legal and Ethical Concerns Surrounding Euthanasia in view of recent Judicial Developments
The panel discussions on euthanasia invited thoughtful reflection on complex ethical, legal, and medical dimensions. The conversation sensitively addressed issues of patient autonomy, dignity, medical responsibility, and evolving jurisprudence. These deliberations reminded us of the importance of empathy and careful legal reasoning when dealing with matters that directly impact human life and dignity. The Panellists included representatives from the medical and legal fraternity, including Dr. Renjith Thomas, Assistant Professor, National Law University, Jodhpur. Dr. Renjith made valuable contributions to the discussions by stressing on the need of having a National Framework for implementing directions and executing end-of-life decisions.The collaboration was conceptualised under the guidance of Prof. (Dr.) Harpreet Kaur and Dr. Goverdhan Dutt Puri. The Consultations and discussions helped identifying regulatory gaps, discussing emerging legal issues for legal research, and exploring opportunities for collaboration between law and medical institutions in research, policy development, and academic engagement. These conversations have underlined that collaboration between law and medicine is no longer optional—it is essential.
