Prof. Faizan Mustafa will be completing two terms as the NALSAR Vice-Chancellor by March 2022. Keeping this in mind, the Chief Justice of the High Court of Telangana has directed the creation of a Selection Committee to choose the next Vice-Chancellor. Prof. Faizan has been popular with students and has definitely improved the institution on several fronts, such as the growth of elective courses, hosting of many conferences and guest lectures as well as public engagement. However, he has struggled to retain good faculty members, with many coming for short stints and joining better paid positions elsewhere. There have been a few good faculty hires during his two terms, but many of the competent teachers (especially Sudhanshu Kumar, Sidharth Chauhan, Hota Agni Kumar, Manisha Sethi and several younger teachers) might also leave if the place gets a sub-standard VC. Prof. Amita Dhanda's continuation at the institution might also become untenable if a person hostile to her is appointed.

So who are the viable candidates for the selection process? Are there any NLSIU alumni who have been Full Professors for 10 years and would hence be eligible to apply?

I hope it is Mrinal or Srividhya or Nigam. This will set the trend of NLU alumni taking over as VCs, which is much needed.

First some corrections in the replies posted above and then some suggestions.
Both Mrinal Satish and N.S. Nigam would not be eligible at the moment. Mrinal became Full Professor at NLU Delhi in 2016-2017 while Nigam only got that rank with his move to BML Munjal in 2018-2019. Srividya Ragavan had applied for NLU Delhi last year (and not NLSIU) and would be eligible since she has been a Full Professor at least since 2009.
Among the other names posted above, I do not think that NALSAR students/alumni will get behind V.C. Vivekanandan or Shashikala Ghurpur. Both have their own baggage from the past.

Here are some suggestions for people who are eligible and can be persuaded to apply once the advertisement comes out.
1) Prof. Kamala Sankaran - currently at Professor at Delhi University, was earlier VC at TNNLS, she is in her early 60s and fits many boxes such as having the requisite seniority, having published quality scholarship and has been a level-headed administrator.
2) Prof. Sitharamam Kakarala - currently at Azim Premji University, earlier taught at NLS and was with CSCS. He is a well-respected academic and would be able to genuinely improve the LL.M. and Ph.D. programmes if he joins NALSAR. He also has roots in Telangana/Andhra Pradesh and would be acceptable to the entrenched local faculty. However, since he is a Professor of Political Science, the advertisement will have to invite applicants from allied disciplines, as was done in the case of recent VC appointments at TNNLS and RGNUL.
3) Dr. Srividya Ragavan - currently at Texas A&M Law School, earlier at Oklahoma State University. Specialises in Intellectual Property and has been a Full Professor since 2009. She might be considered given her international experience and networks.
4) Dr. Manoj Kumar Sinha - currently the Director at Indian Law Institute, Delhi and was earlier Professor at WBNUJS Kolkata where he was quite popular with students. He is in his early 50s and might apply since he will soon be completing two terms at ILI. He might also be preferred as a neutral candidate by the warring factions within NALSAR. He is also a decent teacher for International Law and will improve course-offerings in that area.
5) Dr. Lavanya Rajamani - currently Professor at University of Oxford, earlier held teaching and research positions at Cambridge University and the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi. She is in her late 40s and specialises in International Environmental Law. If the Selection Committee has credible academics, they might give an opportunity to a scholar of her calibre.
6) Dr. V.S. Elizabeth - currently VC at TNNLS Trichy, taught History at NLSIU for a long time. She is known to be a strict but competent teacher. She played a questionable role in delaying Sudhir's appointment as NLS VC, but might be a good option for NALSAR since she will get along with Prof. Dhanda and her group.

If foreign nationals are allowed to apply, the Selection Committee could consider people of Indian origin who are teaching abroad such as Prof. Jayanth Krishnan (University of Indiana), Prof. Vikramaditya Khanna (University of Michigan Ann-Arbour) and Prof. Nehaluddin Ahmad (who has taught in Malaysia).

There are some NLSIU alumni who will become eligible in the next few years and could be considered for the VC positions at other NLUs. Some of them are:
- Arun Kumar Thiruvengadam - currently at NLS, previously taught at NUS and APU, became Full Professor in 2017.
- Mrinal Satish - currently at NLS, became Full Professor in 2016
- N.S. Nigam - currently at NLS, became Full Professor in 2018-2019
- Sarasu Thomas - currently at NLS, became Full Professor in 2017
- T.T. Arvind - currently at York University, UK - became Full Professor in 2012
- Shyam Balganesh - currently at Columbia Law School, USA - became Full Professor in 2014
- Deepa Badrinarayana - currently at Chapman University, USA - became Full Professor in 2014
- Sandeep Gopalan - currently at Carolina University, USA
- Prabha Kotiswaran - currently at Kings College London, UK - became Full Professor in 2017
- Reena Patel - earlier taught at University of Warwick, briefly became Dean at UPES Dehradun and another private law school in Noida.

I hope that this long-list helps current NALSAR faculty/students/alumni to narrow down on a credible successor to FM. This is the least that I can do for a sister institution.

Lol you guys have no idea what you’re on about. I doubt any of these nls folks want to move for Nalsar. They would have moved for their own alma mater- but unlikely they’ll uproot their lives for a university they have no connection to.
It’s much more likely it’ll be someone already at Nalsar who would qualify or someone from the old guard.

Nls got Sudhir not just cause students/ alumni wanted him. Selection committees usually don’t care about that stuff. They got Sudhir because of very specific circumstances involving Sudhir having a good friend in the right position and all the alumni having such an influential and unified position. Neither of which are gonna be true for Nalsar.

Who should be shortlisted: Mrinal, Srividya, Nigam and similar NLU alumni with international exposure.

Who will be shortlisted: Ved Kumari, Vijay Kumar, VCV, Poonam Saxena, Shashikala Gurpur, Nandimath, VS Elizabeth etc.

As for alumni and student intervention, while the NALSAR family can certainly lobby the Covid pandemic will make it difficult. When Sudhir was being stalled a protest as staged at NLSIU. That sort of thing obviously can't happen.

If I had to bet my money I would bet it on Vijay Kumar, followed by VCV, followed by Ved Kumari.

The NALSAR Academic Council agreed on Dr. Baxi's name for the search committee to appoint the next VC. Very interesting development.