Nalsar vice chancellor (VC) Prof Faizan Mustafa told Legally India that Chauhan may be offered a teaching position at the law school after he would give demonstration classes at the end of this month. “I’ve known him [Chauhan] for a long time now,” the VC said.
Chauhan's temporary contract with his alma mater NLSIU was terminated without explanation on 31 January, allegedly over his open criticism of current NLSIU VC Prof R Venkat Rao.
In December Chauhan had emailed two open letters to NLSIU students and faculty, in addition to direct communication with Rao, protesting the manner in which Rao had imposed a campus curfew following the alleged rape of an NLSIU student near campus in October.
On 1 March - a day after his notice period at the campus ended - Chauhan again emailed an open letter to the NLSIU community, alleging that his dismissal was a warning meant for other faculty and staff not to question Rao’s administrative decisions.
Chauhan graduated from NLSIU in 2008, was then a judicial clerk to the Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan, and then obtained his LLM from University of Pennsylvania law school in 2011. He joined his alma mater as visiting faculty in July 2011.
In June last year Legally India reported former NUJS Kolkata assistant professor Prabhash Ranjan’s exit at the law school over differences with the administration regarding his position and pay. Ranjan had joined NLU Jodhpur as an associate professor at the time.
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On another note, there is an NLU in the desert north which is marked by caste politics and relatives focused nepotism from top management in appointment of faculty and staff, quite shameful because cheap faculty/staff cannot facilitate(if not undermine) churning out quality law graduates.
thanks for your appraisal of the situation, though I doubt that you've kept up with what has been happening inside NLSIU in recent years. LI has been quite judicious in not publishing the extracts of my e-mails where I point out serious problems such as the present V-C's untrammeled interference with the grades given by subject-teachers and arbitrariness in assigning teaching responsibilities to those with no previous background in the respective fields. Ordinarily such issues should be raised in faculty meetings and internal bodies such as the undergraduate council. However, the previously established practice of their regular meetings has been discontinued over the last 2-3 academic years. Furthermore, several faculty members had raised these issues privately with the V-C and received unconvincing answers. Given my temporary position, I had no right of representation before the school's Executive Council (EC) and please note that it was the tabling of my e-mails (which questioned the reduction of the campus curfew) before the same that led to my dismissal. With all the formal channels blocked, I had no other option but to set out the reasons behind my actions in the internal listservs. I would have much rather preferred to say all this in a faculty-student open forum, but none of the present students have ever seen that exercise. The unprecedented compromise in academic standards coupled with the opacity in decision-making is the equivalent of a 'scam' for me and hence the public questioning of my immediate superior. In any case, trying to start a discussion on an e-mail thread does not amount to 'direct action'.
As for my teaching abilities, it is just my second year in the profession and I make no claims of expertise. So far I have engaged courses in political theory, statutory interpretation and the Indian legal system. If you have indeed attended my classes or heard second-hand feedback on the deficiencies in my teaching, please do get in touch. Criticism is always a stimulus for improvement.
Lastly, who are you referring to when you say 'Willingness to sign late applications and turning a blind eye to discipline...'? If you are referring to me, then you have been thoroughly misinformed. I am happy to continue this conversation through private back-channels. My contact details are a google search away.
www.livemint.com/Opinion/1DlWmNeSzTwJtRrWEhGATN/The-job-crunch-reaches-Middle-India.html
www.livemint.com/Industry/rGdoMaL6VXQjMJAVfcUuNL/Slowdown-poor-earnings-hitplacementsatnewIIMs.html
I would request you to write a series of no-holds-barred articles where you look at the job crisis in the legal field and how law schools are struggling and some advice on what to do for those without contacts (in reality, they are not sympathetic to the plight of students). The true picture of the NLUs needs to be exposed just as Mint has done so in the case of IIMs. Crores are being wasted in setting up new law schools in Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand, Orissa etc when there are no jobs.
Badaa balwaan
Banega NALSAR ki shaan
Jo tha NLS ki jaan
Jisne loota uska maan.
Lo aa gaya Chauhaa
Bada gunwaan
Le kar debating tips ki khaan
Kyonki khaali hai maidaan
Ab chaleinge shabdon ke teer kamaan.
Lo aa gaya Chauhaan
Bada balwaan.
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