• PhD (Law) : Sambalpur University, 2020
• LL.M  (Sambalpur University) 2012
•  LL.B( L.R. Law College, Sambalpur University) 2010
• M.A(Economics) 2005 [Sambalpur University], 2005
• B.A (Economics) Honours  and  (Statistics) Pass Core, 2003
•  BCA (Sambalpur University under DDCE) 2004.

Compulsory Papers -  Legal Aid and DPC (Erstwhile Legal Aid and PIL), Criminal Law, Personal Laws, Code of Criminal Procedure .
Seminar Papers : Criminology, Laws on Mines and Minerals, Disaster Management and Forest Laws.

Administrative and other Responsibilities held :

• Faculty Advisor – Legal Services Committee (2017- Continuing)
• Faculty Advisor - Horticulture and Swacch Bharat Abhiyan Committee (2022- Continuing)
• Associate Coordinator – KUTUMB (Flagship project of NLUO) (2023- Continuing)
• Director – Centre for Access to Justice (2022- Continuing)
• Co-ordinator – Mentorship Programme (2023- Continuing)
• Co-ordinator – Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (2018- Continuing)
• Member – Crèche Committee (2023)
• Member – Purchase Committee (2023)
• Deputy Proctor – Proctorial Board (2022-23)

Dr. Kuntirani Padhan has more  than 12 years of teaching experience. She has taught in two universities prior to joining NLUO in 2015. Prior to joining NLUO as a Research Associate cum Teaching Assistant in January 2015, she served for her alma mater as a Guest Faculty in Economics from 2010 to 2013. After that she joined as a Guest Faculty in Lajpat Rai Law College (Sambalpur University) where she served from July 2013 to December 2014.
Dr. Padhan has completed her doctoral studies in Criminal Law under the title “Legal Imperatives of Honour Killings in the Criminal Justice Administration System of India : A Socio Legal Study” from Sambalpur university in the year 2020. She holds the distinction of having two full time Post Graduate degrees from Sambalpur University. She holds an LL.M degree with a specialization in Family Laws and Corporate Laws from Sambalpur University. She also holds a Masters Degree in Economics with a specialization in Economic Systems from Sambalpur University. Apart from two regular Post Graduate degrees, her Bachelors Degree in Computer Application (BCA) gives her expertise in relevant productivity software. She has a keen interest in teaching Clinical Legal education. She has been actively engaged in the community outreach initiatives conducted by the University and by the relevant centers.

Articles :

• June 2019, Khap- The Unjustified Guardian , Interpreting the Verma Committee Report of 2013, International Journal of Social and Legal Research, Volume I, Issue I,(Pg 46-50)
• October 2019, The Notion of “Honour” in Honour Killings – Justified or Fallacious, Journal of Legal Studies and Research, Volume 5 Issue 5, ISSN 2455-2437.

Case Comments :

• May 2016, Case Comment  on National Campaign Committee for  Central Legislation for  Construction  Labour  vs.  Union Of India & Ors, Writ Petition(s) (Civil) No(s). 318/2006, Human Rights Law Journal, NLUO (Co-Author : Dr. Aruna Srilakshmi)

Modules/ Chapters :

• Module Eight : TISS-NUSSD project titled “Basics of Criminal Law” - July 2015.
• Drafted the Chapter titled “Analysis of ACR proforma of Different States”  for the Department of Justice Project on “A Comparative Analysis of Performance Appraisal Mechanisms and Schemes of Promotion in relation to the Judges of Subordinate Judiciary in different states of India”.
• Drafted the Block 5 Unit 1 titled “Legal Aid and PIL” of the “Legal Awareness Programme” to be offered by Odisha State Open University  under ODL method from June 2019.

• “Protection Of Geographical Indications Under Indian Agrarian Regime- A Case Study Of Darjeeling Tea” in the National Seminar On Intellectual Property Rights conducted by the Post Graduate Department of Law, Sambalpur University on 8th March 2014.
• One day capacity building workshop on “Expanding Horizons of Law and agriculture” held in National Law University Odisha on 14th February 2015.
• “Right to free legal aid : A disguised Constitutional Coomitment” in The State Level Seminar on “Constitutional Commitment and Present Day Challenges” organized by P.G. Department of Law, Sambalpur Univerisity on 26th November 2016.
• “Honour Killing : A Shamed Contemporary Patriarchal Convention” at the 39th All India Criminology Conference of the Indian Society of Criminology on Criminological Challenges in  the Contemporary Era held from 22nd-24th September 2016 at National Law University Odisha.
• “Custodial Crimes- The inhuman and atrocious Antagonism” in the National Seminar on “ Human rights – Issues and Challenges” conducted on 28th January 2017 by Lala Lajpat Rai Law College, Sambalpur and sponsored by IQAC.
• “Environmental Justice in India: A Modern perspective” in the UGC sponsored National Level Seminar on “ Environmental Protection : Socio- legal issues and challenges” held at Sambalpur University from 25th -26th March 2017.
• National Seminar on the 'Role of Law Schools' Legal Aid Clinics in facilitating Access to Justice' on 30.07.2017 held at New Delhi.
• Participated in the three days workshop conducted and organized at NLU Odisha in association with STRIDE, IGNOU, New Delhi on “Self Learning materials for teachers” from 08-10 May 2017.
• Faculty Development Programme conducted  and organized by NLUO in association with NUEPA, New Delhi on “Professional Development Programme on Teaching, Learning and Technology with Moodle MOOC platform” from 20th- 22nd November 2017.
• “Right to Silence under Indian Constitution – A critique of Narco Analysis test”  in the Two Day National Level Seminar on “Constitutional values in the 21st  Century” held at L.R. Law College, Sambalpur from 27th-28th January 2018.
• “Access to Justice and Legal Empowerment : A conspectus of Odisha Prisons”  in the National Level Seminar on “Challenges to India’s Constitution ”  organized by P.G Department of Law, Sambalpur University from 17th-18th February 2018.
• Attended the Three days workshop on “Qualitative Methods in Legal Research” conducted by National Law University Delhi from 24th-26th September 2018
• “The Sabarimala saga- Whether Empowering Women or an Anathema to the Constitutional Morals” in the two-day National Seminar conducted by L.R. Law College Sambalpur from 27th-28th January 2019.
• Participated in the "Tech4Seva" a three-day national workshop on "Technology outreach as an enabler for Inclusive & sustainable development" being organised at IIT Delhi, New Delhi from 10th-12th August,2019 under the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 Project of the Ministry of Human Resources Development.
• Participated as the Nodal Officer of UBA-MHRD in the  One day brainstorming workshop on Unnat Bharat Abhiyan for the State of Odisha on 24th May 2019 at NIT Rourkela.
• Participated in the 2nd  brainstorming workshop  scheduled on 13th February (Thursday) 2020 at Conference Hall Of TIIR, National Institute Of Technology Rourkela, Odisha as the Nodal Officer , UBA-MHRD and presented the annual report of the activities undertaken by the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan cell of the University.

SESSIONS CHAIRED

• Panel Speaker In the National Symposium on “Disability Rights and Equality” organized by Centre for Disability Law and Advocacy, NLUO in collaboration with Govt. of Odisha on 19th April 2015.
• One technical session on “Sexual offences and Rights of Sexual Minorities” as part of the Credit Course on Human Rights Litigation and Advocacy Strategies under the Mainstreaming Human Rights Lawyering Programme organized by NLUO, Cuttack in association with NLSIU, Bangalore on 17th November 2016.
• Conducted session on the State role and Citizen’s rights in a one day workshop on  “Role of Women in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene”, on 24th March 2017 conducted by Kalinga Kusum Foundation, in collaboration with National Commission for Women and under the guidance of Odisha State Commission for Women 
• One technical Session at the State level Workshop of Stake holders for passing a Resolution by Odisha Assembly seeking the enactment of Comprehensive Central Legislation on Domestic Workers on 22nd August 2017 conducted at Centre for Youth and Social Development( CYSD), Bhubaneswar.
• One technical Session in the Two-days Regional Conference on Child Marriage on 4th and 5th of January 2018 conducted by the National Human Rights Commission(NHRC) at Bhubaneshwar.
• Chaired a session in the two-days Inter-State Dialogue on Protection of Rights of Migrant Children on 15th and 16th January 2018 as a Resource Person on “Migrating Childhood and Role of stakeholders” held in Bhubaneswar, conducted by the Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights(OSCPCR) in collaboration with UNICEF and Aide-et-action.
• One technical session on “Practice and Policy Road Map on Labour Migration"  in the Odisha Vikash Conclave held from 24th-25th August 2018 in Bhubaneswar. 
• Panel speaker at the International Migrants Day and Consultation on “Migration and Human Trafficking in Odisha” on the topic “Impact of migration and trafficking on women and children” held in Bhubaneswar on 18th December 2018.
• Resource Person for one technical session at the One day State level OHRC sponsored training programme for Police officials held at Biju Pattnaik State Police Academy(BPSPA)  on “Human Rights of the accused” on 27th December 2018.
• Panel Speaker at the Regional Consultation of Law school based legal aid clinics conducted at NLUO in collaboration with O.P. Jindal Global Law School on 14th January 2019.
• Resource Person in One technical Session on BPR&D Sponsored training course on “Investigation of Trafficking Cases” at Biju Pattnaik State Police Academy, Bhubaneswar on 6th November 2019.
• Guest faculty for the National level Residential Training Programme on “Advance Course on Right to Information Act, 2005 and Modern Management Practices”  conducted by National Productivity Council, Chandigarh (Under DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Govt. of India)  at Puri on 27th January 2020.
• Panel Speaker at the GAJE Worldwide Online Conference conducted from 16 th -18 th June 2021 by Northumbria University, New Castle, United Kingdom on the Topic “Turning Challenges into Opportunities : Justice Education in the Times of Crises.”
•  Facilitated the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between NLU Odisha and Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services, Odisha to offer a joint “PG Diploma on Correctional Administration and Rehabilitation” on 26 th January 2022 .
•  Plenary Facilitator and Organizing Team of the NCW Eastern Region Consultation on Review of Criminal Law : Improvement in the Status of Women organized by National Law University Odisha on 17th February 2022.

EVENTS ORGANIZED

• One day workshop on “Bonded Labourers and Distress Migration” on 18th August 2016 conducted at NLUO in collaboration with Aide-et-action.
• Coordinated the One credit course on Land Governance: Law and policies conducted from 10th April 2017 to 13th April 2017.
• Two days Teachers Training Programme for School Teachers and Law Teachers on 11th and 12th September 2017 at NLUO.
• International Conference on “Rethinking Socially relevant Legal Education- Best Practices and a Way Forward” from 16th-17th September 2017 conducted at NLUO.
• NLUO & India Justice Report’s Conference On Odisha’s Justice System: Capacity Management on 24th July 2021 (Held Online).
• Facilitated visit of Officer Trainees of Indian Railway Traffic Services(IRTS) and Indian Post and Telegraph Account and Finance Services (IP & TAFS) to Dompada Legal Aid Clinic on 10th November 2022.

FACULTY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES

• Three Days Workshop on “Development of Self Learning Materials for Teachers” organized by NLUO in collaboration with Staff Training and Research Institute of Distance Education, IGNOU, New Delhi from 8th – 10th May 2017,
• FDP on “Professional Development Programme on Teaching, Learning and Technology with Moodle MOOCs platform” organized by NLUO in association with National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), New Delhi from 20th-22nd November 2017.
• Faculty Development Programme (FDP) on “Teaching–Learning, Curriculum Development, & Legal Research” conducted by National Law University Odisha  from 25th to 30th June, 2018. 
• Faculty Development Programme(Online) in Law and the Vulnerable organized by Karnataka State Law University, Hubbali(Karnataka) from 18th to 25th August 2020.
• Faculty Development Programme on Research Methodology and Teaching Methods conducted by National Law University Odisha from 16th to 19th June 2021.

CLINICAL RESEARCH AND LEGAL AID

• Provision of Ration Cards to Tribal Residents of Dompara (Village adopted under the UNDP Access to Justice Project) through Legal Services Clinic of NLUO in March 2016.
• Distribution of  Pattas to three residents of Dompada in Banki (Cuttack) after surveys done by the students of Community Advocacy clinic of the Clinical Legal Education Course in May 2017.
• Regular visits to Circle Jail Choudwar in Cuttack and conducting regular legal awareness camps on health, sanitation, menstrual hygiene and other relevant human rights issues.
• Conducted the exposure visit of the Australian students to Talabasta and Kushpangi (Cuttack District) under the SIEP i.e. Student Internship and Exchange Programme of the Centurion University(India) and Victoria University (Australia) on “Law and Justice in India” on 11th  and 12th January 2018.
• Adopted five villages under the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA 2.0), the flagship project of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) for the sustainable development of villages in April 2018. Village Development Plans have been prepared by UBA NLUO and has been approved by MHRD.
• Established library for the women inmates in Circle Jail Choudwar and the same was inaugurated on 28th March 2019 with the joint effort of Legal Aid Society and IDIA Odisha Chapter of NLUO.
• Prepared 53 ABHA Health Care Cards for the residents of Mundali village (one among the 5 adopted villages under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan programme of the Ministry of Education) in April 2023.