Professor Rahmatullah Khan (01 July 1934 to 31 March 2023) was the professor of International Law and held the Jawaharlal Nehru Chair for International Environmental Law at School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (JNU). He also served as the head of Centre for Studies in Diplomacy, International Law and Economics (1979-1982); Vice-President of JNU Teachers’ Association (1978); President JNU Teacher’s Association (1979); Dean of School of International Studies (1990-1992) and Rector (1996-1999) at the JNU. Before formally joining JNU as an associate professor of International Law at the School of International Studies in 1970, he was a lecturer at the Indian School of International Studies (1965-1969) and served as faculty at Indian Law Institute (1969-1970), New Delhi.
In his Academic Career Prof. Khan has supervised nearly 30 Ph.D. theses and 40 M.Phil. dissertations. Prof. Khan was an Editor-in-Chief of the Indian Journal of International Law (1979-1986) the Secretary General of the Indian Society of International Law. He received the Humboldt Research Award in recognition of achievements in teaching and research, the first Indian scholar in International Law to do so.
He was also bestowed with the Life Time Teacher Award at the first golden jubilee conference of Indian Society of International Law along with Prof. R. P. Anand and Prof. V. C. Govindraj. Later he also served as the visiting faculty of International Law at Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service. Prof. Khan was available for a lecture and book discussion written by him at South Asian University, New Delhi on 11 February 2016 (the only YouTube video in which he himself was there).
Prof. Khan was alumnus of Andhra University (B.A. 1955), Osmania University (LL.B. and LL.M. 1957-1961) and Indian School of International Studies established under the auspices of Indian Council of World Affairs (Ph.D. in International Law 1966). His Ph.D. thesis titled “The Law of Implied Powers and International Administration of the United Nations: Some Aspects of International Organizations as Subjects of International Law”[1] was supervised by Dr. Nagendra Singh (who later became the President of International Court of Justice) and his thesis was examined by Prof. Quincy Wright (an American Political Scientist) and Prof. Ivor Jennings (who served as Vice Chancellor of the University of Cambridge). This thesis was converted into the most celebrated book on United Nations titled “Implied Powers of the United Nations” published by Vikas Publications, New Delhi in 1970. Prof. Khan also hold Postdoctoral degrees of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (1973-74); Princeton University (1974-75); Max-Planck Institute of International Law (1971, 1977, 1983, 1988, 1999-2005); Yale Law School (1980); Columbia Law School (1981); University of Hawaii (1981).
His professional engagements include Co-ordinator ADB/GOI/WWF Project on Environmental Legislation (1998-99); Consultant to the Asian Development Bank (1991); Counsel to Qatar in its dispute with Bahrain on territorial issues at the International Court of Justice (1990); Consultant to the United Nations Environment Programme (1990); Counsel for Iran, in two cases at Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal, The Hague (1984-85); Consultant to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Rome (1981 and 1987); Guest Professor, Max-Planck-Institute, Heidelberg (May – July 1995); Visiting Scholar, East-West Centre, Honolulu (May – June 1991); Guest Professor, Max-Planck-Institute, Heidelberg (July 1987-June 1988); Legal Adviser to Iran at the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal, Den Haag (1983-84); Regional Fishery Law Adviser, Indian Ocean Region, FAO (1981) and assisted in drawing up fisheries legislation for Zanzibar and Ethiopia; Visiting Scholar, Yale Law School, New Haven, (March – July 1980); Visiting (James P. Warburg) Fellow, Centre of International Studies, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton, University, USA (September 1974 – August 1975) with a support grant from the University Consortium of World Order Studies, The Fund For Peace, New York; Marine Policy Fellow, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole Mass; USA as such participated in the Harvard-M.I.T. Joint Faculty monthly seminars on Ocean Law (September 1973 through August 1974); German Academic Exchange Visiting Fellow, Max-Planck Institute of Comparative Law, Hamburg (May – June 1971).
Prof. Khan passed away on 31 March 2023. JNU Teachers Association circulated a note “In Memoriam: Prof. Rahmatullah Khan” on 03 April 2023. On his sad demise, Centre for International Legal Studies organized a Remembrance Meet on 10 April 2023 in memory of late Professor Rahmatullah Khan at the CILS Conference Room in JNU which was followed by the unveiling of his portrait at the Centre. Remembrance meeting was attended by many colleagues, former and present students, and Prof. Khan’s family members. Tributes were paid to the departed soul. Prof. Bharat H. Desai (Chairperson CILS) provided a glimpse into the scholarly works of Prof. Khan as an eminent scholar and his legacy in the field of International Law.
Prof. Khan has always been vocal for the studies and research of International Law in Indian Universities. Prof. Khan has himself contributed in the field of International Law and authored numerous books and various articles across the field of International Law. Prof. Khan used to publish his books through local Indian publishers so that his writings can be accessed by Students, Scholars and Libraries affordably. Prof. Khan leaves behind a rich legacy and a huge body of work for the current and future generations his academic writings can be used as a subsidiary means for the determination of rules of law by ICJ for deciding disputes under Article 38 (1) (d) of the Statute of International Court of Justice as “the teachings of the most highly qualified publicists of various nations”.
Prof. Khan will be remembered for establishing the Centre for International Legal Studies along with his colleagues Prof. R. P. Anand, Prof. V. S. Mani, Prof. Bharat H. Desai, Prof. B. S. Chimni, Prof. Yogesh Kumar Tyagi, Prof. V. G. Hegde and Prof. Fazil Jamal as a leading Institute of research in the field of International Law in India.
Selection Publications
- Books
- Kashmir and the United Nations (Vikas Publications, Delhi, 1969).
- Implied Powers of the United Nations (Vikas Publications, Delhi, 1970).
- The 200 Mile Economic Zone: Indian Ocean Fisheries (Ankur Publications, Delhi, 1977).
- The Iran-United States Claims Tribunal: Controversies, Cases and Contribution (Martinus Nijhoff, 1990).
- Forest Resource Management: Legal and Policy Problems in India and Germany, co-authored with Lothar Gundling (New Delhi, 1984).
- Edited volumes
- An Introduction to the Study of Comparative Law (The Indian Law Institute, Delhi, 1971).
- The Law of International Trade Transactions (The Indian Law Institute, Delhi, 1973).
- Law, Science and Environment (Lancers, New Delhi, 1987).
- Bharat Desai, Environmental Laws of India: Basic Documents, (Lancers Books, New Delhi, 1993).
- Najmul Arif, International Environmental Law, Basic Documents And Selected References, (Lancers Books, New Delhi, 1996).
- The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, with P. Chandrasekhara Rao (Kluwer, 2001).
[1] This Thesis can be accessed at Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Central Library JNU (Call No.: Location(s): Theses & Dissertations 341.2322 K5274 La).
Himanshu Varshney is a Ph.D. Student and University Grant Commission Senior Research Fellow at Centre for International Legal Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He holds an LL.M. in International Law from South Asian University, New Delhi