Introduction.- Rationale for National Space Legislation.- State Practices Towards National Space Legislation.- Legal Regime for Space Activities in India.- Final Conclusion and Proposal.
Kumar Abhijeet completed his doctoral studies at the Institute of Air and Space Law, University of Cologne, Germany, and holds a Master of Laws degree from the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bachelor of Science & Bachelor of Laws degrees from the University of Delhi. He also has more than eight years of teaching experience at the NLSIU, Bangalore. He has been a Linnaeus-Palme fellow at the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm (Sweden) and Erasmus Mundus fellow at the Department of Public International Law, Ghent University, Belgium. On the occasion of fifty years of the Outer Space Treaty he was part of the 21-day workshop on space law conducted by the Centre for Studies and Research of The Hague Academy of International Law, the Netherlands. Dr. Abhijeet is an alumnus of the International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) – a U.S. Government premier professional exchange program for emerging international opinion leaders. Under the auspices of IVLP he was invited to visit NASA. He has published a number of papers in reputed journals and has been an invited speaker in a number of distinguished conferences including the first United Nations conference on space law held in Moscow, Russia. He is also a member of the International Institute of Space law and the International Law Association (India Branch). Currently, Dr. Abhijeet is working with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.
This book discusses the need for national space legislation in India in the wake of private stakeholders entering the field and the expansion of outer space activities. Highlighting India’s commitment to responsibly pursuing its outer space ambitions through rule of law, the book discusses the rationale behind national space legislation and addresses the requirements of both international and domestic law. In order to suggest draft framework national space legislation for India, it examines and compares the legislations of twenty major space-faring countries to identify the best practices.
One of the few scientific studies in India that proposes draft framework legislation for space activities in India, this book summarizes the three main reasons why national space legislation is necessary – to fulfill international obligations, to address India’s specific requirements and to enable non-governmental entities to participate. A must read for anyone interested in international space law and India’s role and responsibility toward it, it is a valuable resource for academics, scientists, policymakers, industry executives, lawyers and students as well as amateur space enthusiasts.