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People have written such mails last year also, so you can too so that you concerns can be addressed
The students insisted to come back and then threw caution to the wind on coming back. The admin behaved like its usual burying head in sand self and then the headless chicken self when faced with the emergency. The political leadership of course can't escape blame for the overall state scene, but NUJS scene is a vintage noojie one.
Lesson:
1. Don't blame NUJS SJA or Admin
2. Blame the West Bengal Chief Minister for allowing crowding on Park Street with thousands of unmasked people.
The SJA has entirely been pushing for voluntary reopening. Compulsory reopening in January was an obvious goal in November (before Omicron). Several universities around the country were already reopening or making plans to reopen. NUJS was actually one of the last to allow even voluntary campus access.
We couldn't have just continued online forever. When things seemed better in November the SJA pursued the normal course of action in pushing for reopening. The SJA doesn't have some kind of crystal ball to foresee when and where a new variant is going to arise. This was inevitable.
Those who weren't on campus have no idea how hard the SJA has worked to ensure safety after the situation arose. Despite being thinly spread they worked tirelessly. Moreover, helpful seniors have mobilised in volunteer groups on campus to help those who are isolating. As a person in isolation myself, I can assure you that the seniors are not these "party obsessed" selfish beings that the first and second years have painted them out to be. The more senior batches have lesser time left on campus than you guys. They literally have a lot more too lose.
The people who have been selfish, like this comment says are the ones who have behaved recklessly after the situation (Covid outbreak) began to unfold. Those who have acted carelessly when they are supposed to be isolating, those who have gone home USING PUBLIC TRANSPORT after testing positive. It's pretty obvious who these people are, the whole college knows despite their lies.
But their selfish actions does not in any way reflect poorly on the SJA. They deceived the SJA before leaving campus, out of pure self interest.
Furthermore, I think while those who are not on campus are stakeholders (albeit lesser than the ones on campus), they have no business speculating when they have no idea what's going on here. And I'm sure once this chaos settles down the SJA will provide information.
Stop blaming the student government/senior batches etc. only because it's easy to blame someone. It's very easy to blame anonymously. @juniors if you really believe you have legitimate concerns you should have no qualms sending a GB mail, instead of spreading false and baseless accusations on public forums. Jai Hind.
Your concerns about the loss of money is genuine and I completely sympathise with you. But how is the SJA responsible for that? It was an administrative decision. College would have reopened whether the SJA wanted it or not because the admin wanted the college to reopen and because the laws of the state allowed for the same.
I am assuming you are someone who hasn’t been to campus ever. I understand why you would think people do nothing but partying in college. NUJS is known for it. But so are other colleges. Every law college has a party culture. It’s just that the party culture in NUJS is over glorified than others.
What eludes discussions amidst this narrative of NUJS being a party college is the fact that NUJS also allows space for discourse. It gives students the freedom to come up with ideas for start ups. All this can only happen in an offline format. I don’t know what do you think you’ll learn in an online format, but it’s definitely not going to help you. As cliche as it sounds, the actual learning happens outside the classroom.
Get your facts straight before going on a rant.
Most of all, the criticism by juniors is toady unwarranted. IIM Calcutta and IIT Kharagpur have also reported high cases. Are you going to blame their student bodies and admin too? The fault lies at the door of the Bengal government and nobody else. Mamata ignored the Covid situation and is instead busy with doing politics in Goa, a state where her party will never win.
On a different note, the amount of animosity you guys harbour towards senior batches is unreal. In school you may have not needed seniors to help you out but it’s a crucial part of your learning process in college. I know I learnt a lot of from my seniors. How to go about law school, how to perform in my internships. The rapport that I built with my seniors helped me secure internships and extensions during internships as well. There was mutual respect amongst all batches.
Unfortunately, two batches who were/are fresh out of school have never come to campus. They do not know how it is like to be in college. The crucial role just being on campus plays in our personal growth, be it intellectual, social or professional. Its saddening to see the amount of hate juniors batches have for the senior batches. Maybe it’s not actually first second years behind these comments. Maybe it’s people from senior batches with vested interest who are making these comments in the name of juniors. Who knows! That’s the power that anonymity gives right? It would not do the juniors batches any good if you obliterate all the chances of having a decent rapport with your seniors before you even come to campus.
However there were certain things you didn't address. It wasn't necessary for college to remain open in December after exams. It was also wasn't essential for the people in college to go out to restaurants and roadtrips and crowded places like Park Street on Christmas. This was irresponsible and no matter how much they try to deny it, this irresponsibility was why the outbreak in college got so bad. Now I don't know if we'll get any of our last semester on campus.
You said that college was closed immediately once cases in Kolkata came up and the situation became bad. That is false. The university sent a closure letter ONLY when several cases on campus were detected. If these cases had not happened, the SJA would have pushed for compulsory reopening irrespective of the Kolkata situation. That's the problem. They were willing to create an unsafe situation just so their batch could remain on campus to party. Even after the positive cases, the SJA didn't say anything about closing college. They still thought they could keep it open in January. But the university had more sense and sent a closure letter before.
Publishing comments on LI don't count as publications, so please stop this bs thread and get cracking on research papers, moots, and blogs, applying for internships.
Getting in NUJS doesn't guarantee a job, you have to work for it
With regards to the same, it is completely unfair and unjust for the SJA to be blamed for the irresponsible actions of certain individuals. The SJA only pushed for voluntary campus access. Only those willing to come back to college and submit to the COVID risks came!
The present outbreak on campus cannot be attributed to any one person or groups of persons! With OMICRON spreading so rapidly and the country seeing a surge of cases out of nowhere, anyone could have brought the virus on campus! Everyone was exploring the city and running around. Several juniors who weren't officially called back were in and out of campus. No one person behaved in an egregiously irresponsible manner to warrant such anger!
The responsibility of the SJA thereafter is only to scrutinise and adequately manage the situation to the best of their abilities, which they have done.
It is the actions of certain individuals - who have left campus after testing positive or knowingly coming into contact with persons who have tested positive - that is irresponsible and selfish. They are endangering the lives of people in the whole city if not the country! Why are we holding the SJA responsible for the shameful actions of these people!? The student government can only do so mu h. Beyond this, the students must be motivated by basic civic sense and good conscience, which there seems to br a grave lack of!
If we have a problem with the SJA, let's solve it. Let's make separate thread to discuss the SJA being held accountable and decide what to do?
While NUJS already has a Covid protocol, an additional detailed plan of action would also be sent before the compulsory reopening. However, the reopening was cancelled as the Covid situation in Kolkata worsened (very rapidly). So, who were the students on campus right now? They were the students who had VOLUNTARILY chosen to come to campus much earlier than the prescribed date and also signed a waiver form. They were aware that they were not required to come but WANTED to. They were free to leave at any time as classes were still online.
Second, amidst all this, the Covid situation in Kolkata worsened rapidly, with the city having the highest positivity rate in the country in a matter of a few days. Had any other University, for instance NLS, been situated in Kolkata, the situation would have been precisely the same. In fact, the selective outrage is baffling when NLS continues to operate physically mandatorily without any additional measures, and other NLUs are having physical convocations. The truth is that any NLU could have been in this situation, but only Kolkata happened to be the worst affected. This is not something that anyone in NUJS had control over.
Third, NUJS acted in accordance with all government guidelines. It acted like similarly situated colleges in the city, like IIM Calcutta, who face much worse situations. As soon as the situation in Kolkata worsened (which happened so rapidly that any action could not have been taken in advance), the reopening was cancelled.
Fourth, I understand there are genuine health concerns due to which people would prefer online college. NUJS is exempting such people from coming to campus when it opens. However, to juniors who want college to be online forever - as someone who has done well for themselves in law school, I can tell you that most of your growth and development happens outside the classroom. I cannot even imagine what personal growth you would be having sitting in front of your laptop screens for years. The things I have spoken about in interviews have never been about my classroom experiences. The most you learn is from your peers, your relationships, your spirited side gate discussions, and your actual (not virtual) experiences. I understand that health concerns must be given priority, and I am not advocating for reopening in all situations. However, if the Covid situation gets better, still rooting for online college is a disfavour to yourself. If your only reason for not wanting to come to college is that home is more comfortable, please rethink your approach for your own sake.
After going to campus did you attend any social gathering on campus or outside campus? If you did your whole premise fails.
If you cared so much about mental health, benefit to students, etc you would have not done this.
Everybody who was there on campus was for their own vested interests and not for LeArNiNg or mEnTaL hEaLtH
Don't wash dirty linen in public.
Will the SJA be able to clarify as to how these guys are leaving? Do they have ambulances? Where are they going? Are their drivers aware that they have tested positive?
I say this being a dissenting sja member.
Im a noojie from the third year, if that helps.
1. Ramanna is a million times better than Dipak Misra and Gogoi, Ramanna also visits NLUs, while those two neglected legal education completely. Furthermore, Chandrachud is now CJ in waiting, unlike last time when he was still lower down the hierarchy.
2. The new Advocate General, Mr Mookherjee, is a very eminent and respected lawyer with a national reputation. He is not an unknown, obscure stooge like the last person, who caused a lot of damage and selected the current VC in a totally non-transparent manner. Moreover he is a Cambridge graduate and his daughter recently graduated from the 3 year course at Jindal, after doing her MPhil from Cambridge. So he has a pretty good idea of how a good university is run.
3. The present Governor is probably the only one with the guts to take the government head on. He may have political motivations, but at least he will not hesitate to send a summons to the VC or meet with the Advocate General.
I don't blame the SJA or the VC because they decided to open campus before these super spreader events.
Are there no juniors who want to stand?
1) Why were all fifth years charged for their adjustable deposit during July to September when only select few came to campus?
2) Why was RTPCR at the cost of students made mandatory when college was opening on a compulsory basis?
If you can't answer the question @SJA. Please resign if you have any conscience left.
Why the hell should they not raise these issues on public forums if the SJA is not going to listen when asked through private channels? More power to the 1st and 2nd years for taking matters into their hands. You should really take the SJA to hell and beyond.
What has happened now is the following:
1. Students are just obsessed with corporate law firm jobs and have no sense of social commitment to improve the institution. Thus, they don't care about SJA elections and nobody even stands for election.
2. Corrupt teachers and admin have bought student loyalties by offering them easy grades, so there is no dissent and protest about deficiencies in the fault or admin.
3. A very bitter divide between wokes and trads has occurred among students. Students who are in neither camp are forced to pick a side. This resulted in a situation where the Governor was uninvited and Derek O'Brien was given a platform to use the college's name for propaganda. In no other NLU has such a shameful incident happened.
The students are now paying the price for all this. The SJA is dysfunctional and there is no culture of students uniting and seeking the improvement of the college.
- Students didn't care about the unfair and opaque VC selection process
- Students didn't care about Covid and went unmasked and attended super-spreader events
Thus, students cannot complain about the SJA or the VC or quarantine.
This was a preventable situated
And R for the love of God stop taking sides with the admin and the SJA and publish our comments.
Also, doctors do no do home calls for Covid anywhere in the world. Serious patients get admitted to hospital and doctors examine them there. Others rest at home. As for medicine, there is no cure for Covid. You need to take normal tablets to reduce temperature and cold if you have any, else just rest.
The vast, vast majority of young people who have Covid just need rest and an occasional tablet if they have fever. God forbid if there is a serious situation there are many hospitals close to the hostel and the college can arrange an ambulance.
Stop moaning.
The SJA saw expert opinions? Which of these opinions mentioned that the Delta was gone after the Omicron had come? You seem to be a law student, at least speak sense if not law.
Official confirmation won't be there because students have been irresponsibly allowed to flee the campus without getting tests done.
If students' well-being was the only concern, then why didn't the SJA push for optional return? Not a single time were the office bearers heard speaking for hybrid options and students being allowed to stay at home on grounds of being rightfully concerned about lack of safety and COVID protocol enforcement in the tiny campus.
Lastly, don't lecture about top law school culture. Any place that prioritises its supposed reputation over the lives and health of its students is going to be top only in the minds of people like you. Gag culture isn't an NUJS trait. If you don't want dirty laundry to be washed in public, ensure that it stays clean.
New years parties with 2-3 people? Did you not hear the corridor parties and how loud they were? Didn't you see the glass bottles being thrown down? And there were no masks in sight. Most of the close contact cases came from these parties. If you were on campus, you would have seen it instead of spreading false news here
1. Tell me how many people were actually the ones from underprivileged backgrounds. Just tell me how many idia scholars were there on campus?
2. Agreed.
3. Arey nahi nahi bhaisaab. People staying on campus went out for christmas parties. I have seens pics of them in a place which looks like park street and it was atleast more than 20 localities. One particular group went out for a roadtrip
For new years there was a barbeque going on on the terrace of the nujs building and some glass bottles were also being thrown off from the terrace. Party toh hui thi dono din.
4. The SJA should write a gb mail and inform about the actual numbers then
Also if you look at the numbers all persons on campus were the ones who did not need campus access as such. Because of these guys now the ones who actually need campus access wont get it when online classes resume.
Being entitled, they approach the seniors for help as a matter of birth right: Bhaiya ye bata do, project bhej do, etc. Juniors should understand that fifth years have just a few months of college life left and, should be allowed to come to campus.
I hope LI published this comment as they didn't publish my last 93 word comment posted yesterday.
~5th Year Student (Direct Covid Contact presently trapped on campus)
1. The safety and well-being of students and faculty has always been uppermost for the SJA. But well-being also means mental well-being. Students and parents were suffering from high stress and lots of difficulties by not being able to come to all. So a decision was taken trying to strike a balance. Not everyone is from a privileged family with personal iPads and high-speed Wi-Fi, a bedroom for himself/herself etc.
2. Many expert opinions were seen by the SJA. Many experts said on TV shows that the Omicron variant looks to be milder than Delta. Also, vaccination coverage has improved. So a comparison with the second wave situation is wrong. It is also important to note that WB government rules themselves allowed college campuses to reopen. Only this evening has the government had ordered colleges to close. So no government order was violated.
3. It is wrong to say that seniors had Xmas and New Year parties without being masked. 99% have been very responsible and worn masks and used hand sanitisers. Also, just having a cake and coke with 2 or 3 close friends is not a "party". Please do not give the false impression that seniors went to discos and nightclubs. They did not. If Covid spread it more likely originated from outsiders who have been very reckless while partying in Kolkata, as many media outlets have reported. Outsiders can bring the infection into college in various ways: using the ATM, Uber, food delivery etc.
4. Please also do not share alarmist figures about Covid case without official confirmation. This is highly irresponsible.
As juniors you may not be familiar with the culture of being in a top law school and the responsibility that carries, but in that case do not post uninformed comments on a public forum.
Kian, please come back!!
So will the VC and SJA President take moral responsibility and resign?
The junior batches don't know how GB meetings work. They haven't got any exposure to college culture. Without offline college, they think a hierarchy exists among batches. So, many of them were reluctant to speak up in the GB meetings.
The GB meeting also seemed like a formality. The SJA and the senior batches had already informally decided college had to be reopened, the only discussion was about how to pitch this to the Vice Chancellor. The SJA even told people not to mention any contradicting opinions against reopening in front of the Vice Chancellor. Certain 5th years made the environment in the GB meeting such that people thought they would get attacked if they brought up anything contrary to them. One 5th year said the only reason some people don't want to come back to college is because they are too comfortable relaxing at home. In this atmosphere, how are junior batches supposed to speak up?
SJA and senior batches, if you are reading this, this is on you. Before joining NUJS, I heard rumours about how NUJS stifles dissent, this made me understand that. We need to make an environment where people's views are actually heard. And the opinions of those in power do not supersede all else. And before opening college again, we need to make sure we can handle outbreaks like this.
One must ask where they would stay? These are Children of powerful bureaucrats/ judges. I can guess it would be nearby govt guesthouses or hotels. I wouldnt be surprised if they leave for their homes.
Your comment is full of privilege and entitlement. Do you have any idea how difficult long distance has been for couples??? Can you even imagine how people are surviving without free flow of alcohol and weed and whatever other intoxicants they prefer??
See omicron and all is scam. I dont care if you have to be the collateral damage if somebody else wants access to their partner or have fun on the campus
Now after telling all batches to book their tickets, they are shutting down college. Will the SJA refund travel tickets now? Pay the medical bills of the people infected? So many of the tickets were not refundable and people have lost 5,000-10,000. That is a lot of money for people from underprivileged backgrounds.
Why didn't the SJA or the teachers have the foresight to understand this earlier? The GB meeting literally happened in November. Just because they wanted to have parties in college they pushed for reopening. Irresponsible.
This is to further inform all students of B.A LL.B(Hons) Programme of this university that the above mentioned notice regarding permission of entry of students in the hostel is hereby withdrawn with immediate effect.