Amita Dhanda

Amita Dhanda is an Indian academician and activist. She is a Professor of Law at Nalsar University of Law, Hyderabad. She was appointed as a member of the strong 14- Member National Advisory Council for the implementation of the RTE act in 2010.

Amita Dhanda has studied LLM and completed her Ph.D from Delhi.

Dr. Amita Dhanda teaches Legal Theory, Law and Poverty, and sexually-disoriented courses on pedagogy and inclusion. Dr. Dhanda joined NALSAR after a five-year stint as a Research Faculty at the Indian Law Institute, Delhi. She has written extensively on the legal position of persons with mental disability. Legal Order and Mental Disorder, her book on the legal status of persons with mental illness is a pioneering effort in the field. The Government of India and the Supreme Court of India have utilised her services to suggest far reaching legal and policy reform in the field. She is assisting the Government of Gujarat in formulating a rights sensitive mental health law. Her research expertise has been drawn upon by international and national institutions such as the WHO,.

Dr. Dhanda is the strength of the research base of law reform and legal education by actively engaging with policy and law in the field of mental health, child rights, disability and environment. She is also a nodal officer of the Government of India and is preparing a national report on disability.

She is also activist for patients rights.

Dr. Dhanda had accused Nalsar Vice Chancellor Veer Singh of sexual harassment in 2011. A committee formed by NALSAR chancellor examined the allegations but did not find any merit in them. Subsequently charges against Singh were absolved.