A request by the West Bengal state government saw a last minute addition to today’s agenda of the NUJS Kolkata executive council (EC) meeting that extended the tenure of vice chancellor (VC) Ishwara Bhat by five years.
The proposal by the state government, which has not yet been approved, would see NUJS having to double its intake of students from 125 to 250 students and to open up two new branches in the state.
In a letter dated yesterday (23 September, see below) from the West Bengal department of labour to Bhat, the government asked for:
National University of Juridical Sciences, one of the most respected Law institutes of the country, is delivering legal education for more than a decade now.
But the capacity of students in the University is presently 125 per year, although, thousands of students throughout the State are interested to get admission in this reputed institution.
As such it is desired that the intake of students may be increased from 125 to 250 and two branches of this esteemed institution may be opened at Siliguri and Asansol to cater legal education for the students coming from the districts and to facilitate the legal study at their doorsteps.
A last-minute amendment to today’s EC meeting agenda as item AA1 (see copy above) made apparently after receipt of this letter then tabled the government’s proposal “for opening branches of WBNUJS in Siliguri and Asansol”, “up for kind perusal and directions”.
At today’s meeting, which included representation form the state government, the proposal was tabled for the next EC meeting on 12 November.
Bhat has not responded to our messages seeking comment at the time of publication.
Update 26 September: Bhat has told Bar & Bench: “It is just a proposal as of now. The Academic Council has to meet and decide on the feasibility of opening of two new colleges. I cannot say how long it will take to come up with a decision.”
Bhat’s term was extended in the same meeting by five more years despite resistance from students and faculty.
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Its a NATIONAL Law University. It is one of the most respected law schools of the country because students come from all over the country to study there. You make it a Bengali bastion by opening new campuses and giving state reservations and soon all those thousands of students who want to study here will want to go somewhere else. The quality of students will fall. Respected and qualified professors do not want to teach under the administration of Bhat in a city like Kolkata and in a University like NUJS. How will you ever find good teachers for campuses situated in remoter areas and under the same administration? NUJS will become some unknown local law college.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moloy_Ghatak
By the way, won't an amendment to the NUJS Act be required to open new campuses?
1. The branches in those places can be non-degree awarding centres that simply train district lawyers or give legal aid, or fresh law colleges mentored by NUJS but NOT sharing the NUJS brand name. Also pressure EC not to approve it.
2. Launch a campaign to get Modi govt to designate all NLUs as institutes of national importance like IITs. Currently, all NLUs are STATE universities and open to such interference.
3. About the batch intake, the extra 125 can be put in courses that don't clash with BALLB placements, such as LLM, MPhil, PhD, or new "soft" courses like BA in human rights, BA in pol science etc, where students have no expectations of placements.
I feel some students and faculties is behind this in partnership with poisonous old faculty members who left for other colleges. These faculties and student will be identified and punished.
Bhat as a good VC or his achievements in the past 5 years?
1. Good placement
2. Appointment of accomplished faculties (full time)
3. Award of prestigious award by SILF
2. I know for a fact that the standard of faculty has deteriorated despite the hiring of new ones
3. Balls
Can you name the full time accomplished faculties?
The Institutional Excellence Award 2016 was given to College of Law and Governance, Mody University of Science and Technology, Lakshmangarh, Rajasthan. I really doubt the prestige of the award.
Only 3 things in 5 years which are not even achievements or his achievements?
Nothing more?
GB meeting must be called at once.
Ishwar Bhat: VC of NUJS Cal campus
Junior Anirban: Registrar
Chengappa: Senior Asst Registrar
AK Poddar: Particular VC of NUJS Siliguri (he also studied law from Siliguri)
Senior Anirban : VC of NUJS Asansol
3. Penalties for spying
(1) If any person for any purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the State-
(c) obtains, collects, records or publishes or communicates to any other person any secret official code or pass word, or any sketch, plan, model, article or note or other document or information which is calculated to be or might be or is intended to be, directly or indirectly, useful to an enemy 9[or which relates to a matter the disclosure of which is likely to affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State or friendly relations with foreign States];
4. Communications with foreign agents to be evidence of commission of certain offences
(1) In any proceedings against a person for an offence under section 3, the fact that he has been in communication with, or attempted to communicate with a foreign agent, whether within or without 12[India], shall be relevant for the purpose of proving that he has, for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the State, obtained or attempted to obtain information which is calculated to be or might be, or is intended to be, directly or indirectly, useful to any enemy .
And what's with the threats? That too in archaic and redundant language? Thin skin much?
Of course there is a concern about ensuring the quality doesnt fall but Im sure that can be done.
The SJA took action in the registrar case only because the registrar was anti-VC. They never do anything against the VC. On the contrary, they sent a fake report to Legally India defending the VC saying everything is ok:
www.legallyindia.com/Law-schools/nujs-kolkata-is-getting-better
SHAME SHAME SHAME
1. Hon'ble Vice Chancellor has taken many initiative and improve discipline. Many prestigious conference, lectures etc.
2. Huge improvement in infrastructure will take place.
3. Complaint that faculty is not good is baseless. NUJS faculties have studied in prestigious universities in India and abroad. Many faculties are also alumnis of National Law Schools and did LLM from there. BALLB alumnis are also there. NUJS faculty is probably best in India.
If it is then Dear sir
1. The VC is not a disciplinarian who has to check student morals. His job is the administration of the University. You and him could not provide for one satisfactory answer in the meeting with students relating to administration. Please concentrate on running the administration properly rather than checking student discipline.
2. Let's see about the huge infrastructural changes. I ll have utmost respect for you if you do this.
3. Please compare the faculty with NLS NALSAR and NLU D in terms of number of faculty , number of students and fees. You will know how worse we are. Let us not go into qualitative considerations of the faculty because that cannot be established but statistics speaks for themselves. Our faculty is far from best as of now.
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