Houston, TX (December 27, 2023): Prof. Ved Prakash Nanda, the founding member of Sewa International USA, a distinguished legal scholar and teacher, and a leading voice of the Hindu community in America, passed away after a brief illness on Monday, January 1, at a hospital in his hometown, Denver, CO.
Deeply loved by his students, friends, and thousands of volunteers from the organizations he was associated with, Dr. Nanda contributed richly to many fields. He taught International Law at the Strum School of Law, University of Denver, CO, until his last days.
He leaves behind his daughter, son-in-law, two grandchildren, and many friends.
Legacy of Scholarship
Prof. Nanda commanded great respect from a broad section of society globally. One of his students, Doug Scrivner, donated $1 million to the University of Denver to establish the Ved Nanda Center for International & Comparative Law, which was established in 2006. Dr. Nanda authored over 24 books, was a columnist for TheDenver Post, and contributed immensely to improving US-India relations.
Dr. Nanda received the Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian awards by the Government of India, in 2018. The American Bar Association International Law Section conferred on him the Louis B. Sohn Award, for “distinguished, longstanding contributions to the field of public international law.”
One of the early Indian emigres, Dr. Nanda arrived as a student of law and earned his LLM at Northwestern University in 1962. Born in 1934 in Gujranwala in the Punjab province of then undivided India he migrated to Jammu with his mother during India's partition, when he was 13 years old. Prof. Nanda studied economics and law at the University of Punjab and Delhi. After completing his LLM degree at Northwestern University in Chicago and a graduate fellowship at Yale Law School, Prof. Nanda joined the University of Denver.
Ved Nanda was immersed in the ideals of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) – creating disciplined and committed citizens to build a strong India. He was President of the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) USA, Chairman of the Hindu University of America, and the past president of the World Jurist Association. Prof. Nanda held leadership positions in the American Society of International Law, the American Law Institute, and the American Bar Association's Human Rights Center. He also served as a US delegate to the World Federation of the United Nations Associations in Geneva and on the governing council of the United Nations Association of the United States.
Prof. Nanda receiving the Padma Bhushan from
India’s President Ramanatha Kovind in 2018
Karmayogi – Working Selflessly
Prof. Nanda in the backdrop of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains
Paying tribute to Prof. Ved Nanda, Sewa International's President Arun Kankani said, "Dr. Nanda inspired me personally and countless volunteers worldwide. I worked very closely with him for many years. His youthfulness, humor, work ethic, and gentle and caring nature guided me. His achievement in various fields seems impossible to accomplish for anyone in a single lifetime. We humbly bow to this giant of a personality and inspiring karmayogi of our times. Following his path of service is the true homage to such a man of wisdom, courage, and dedication".
About Sewa International
Sewa International (www.sewausa.org) is a 501 (c)(3) Hindu faith-based charitable nonprofit that works in the areas of disaster recovery, education, and development. Sewa has 43 Chapters across the USA and serves regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin.
