Today's TOI says that Mama has recommended the name of JB as state human rights chief and Madhumati as information commissioner. So I guess the chair will now probably go to outgoing state human rights chief and NUJS GC member Girish Gupta. 🙄🙄🙄

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/bengal-proposes-names-for-wbhrc-chief-lokayukta/articleshow/91752762.cms

Your point is absolutely profound and insightful , “ EC etc meetings are organised around the "convenience" of some worthies. But the agenda-setting is entirely with NKC. What goes in, where, how far, how much, etc are all micromanaged by NKC and his acolytes. Hence no embarrassing stuff. “
Going by this logic all VCs and their coterie at NUJS have been pushing their own agendas for their own interest. This really needs to be inquired upon specially the appointment of faculty members done in the last twenty years need to be reviewed . Even staff appointments need to be looked at specially the appointments made for PAs. The current ongoing scandal regarding appointments at the School Service Commission is just an example of how things are run in the state.Even during the Left regime in West Bengal there are examples of scandalous appointments .The SJA needs to look at the appointments of faculty members and staff made during the last twenty years . Most of the data is available publicly other details can be made available through RTIs.
Surely they will find how VCs have made appointments ,etc to further their ‘IOUs’ and how agendas have been manipulated including appointments. This needs to be looked into by the SJA .
SCM also needs to be back he is ethically absolutely perfect to take up this kind of work .The SJA or the University should consider him either for the Ford Chair or reappoint him to the post of Registrar. As someone already said that his brilliance has been overlooked.
The SJA can never be dead . Yes at times it can become dormant but rest assured it will wake up and rise.
The SJA really needs to do a review of appointments done at NUJS of faculty members in the past twenty years in order to improve the quality of faculty and teaching ( including research) at NUJS. For all you know one may find a lot of appointments made through dubious means and methods .

LI covered the SCM saga extensively as also the one concerning a former AR. The potential "return" of SCM to NUJS was covered briefly by BB after he scored a facile "win" in HC. Even SCM sympathizers knew that he had no chance and NKC did not want him back for obvious reasons.

SCM's services were terminated. So wherever he went after NUJS exit was not a sabbatical or lien. That's a lie. As regards the ex-AR, he was generously "suspended" by PIB and Co. but later the EC had his services terminated too after SJA exposed anomalies. The ex-AR appealed in the HC and no idea where that went.

So, I am not sure why someone is hyperventilating on SCM or ex-AR. Of course, a return of either may set the cat among the so-called pigeons but there is negligible chance of that happening. Equations have changed and as someone rightly pointed out NKC has several IOUs that need to be honoured. Ex-AR and SCM do not feature in those calculi.

Sure, EC etc meetings are organised around the "convenience" of some worthies. But the agenda-setting is entirely with NKC. What goes in, where, how far, how much, etc are all micromanaged by NKC and his acolytes. Hence no embarrassing stuff. That's the usual fare in other NLUs as well.

And SJA is dead. RIP.

Didn’t the PA tell you that all EC meetings( special / ordinary)are held and fixed not at the behest of NKC(VC) but at the convenience of certain members of the EC who happen to be Supreme Court / High Court Judges or Ministers .
I guess you are saying that all these people timed him out since 2014-2022 as they were scared of facing him and his distinguished lawyers in a meeting. I guess the EC members all got lucky because of Covid and were able to dodge him. I absolutely agree with your point of view and analogy

That’s why I again humbly submit and propose that SCM, who is a true upholder of human rights and a brilliant academic be appointed Ford Chair Professor at NUJS. A fitting appointment to a post held by the likes of Prof.U Baxi. The SJA should re-consider SCM and his brilliance which they had earlier overlooked. PA will confirm his brilliance.

How is a former terminated AR connected to all this ? Isn’t it true that a former terminated AR at NUJS is a runaway or are you saying that this former terminated AR is connected to SCM being timed out of NUJS? There is no way a runaway can ever return.

PA has all the details. You must ask PA to clarify these issues.

I was told by PA that SCM never ran away anywhere ,he was on lien at Seacom Skills University, Kolkata and then was on deputation at Amity Law , Raipur a branch of Amity University ,Noida as Registrar. It's good to work in a branch.

Yes you are right he may have been helped by jungle naxals . Whatever it may be, I agree that Amity Law ,Raipur is an absolutely haloed place for academics better than NUJS .
Oh Sorry it’s perhaps better than Leicester University , JNU, University of Calcutta,PU,SXC,MAC or even the CSSSC.

Didn’t the PA tell you that all EC meetings( special / ordinary)are held and fixed not at the behest of NKC(VC) but at the convenience of the members of the EC who happen to be Supreme Court / High Court Judges or Ministers .
I guess you are saying that all these people timed him out since 2016 as they were scared of facing him and his distinguished lawyers in a meeting. I guess the EC members all got lucky because of Covid and were able to dodge him. I absolutely agree with your point of view and analogy .

That’s why I humbly submit and propose that SCM, who is a true upholder of human rights and a brilliant academic be appointed Ford Chair Professor at NUJS. A fitting appointment to a post held by the likes of Prof.U Baxi. The SJA should re-consider SCM and his brilliance which they had earlier overlooked. PA will confirm his brilliance.

How is a former terminated AR connected to all this ? Isn’t it true that a former terminated AR at NUJS is a runaway? How can a runaway even return?

PA has all the details. You must ask PA to clarify these issues.

I was told by PA that SCM never ran away anywhere ,he was on lien at Seacom Skills University, Kolkata and then was on sabbatical at Amity Law , Raipur a branch of Amity University ,Noida as Registrar. The emphasis here is on the word branch.

Yes you are right he may have been helped by jungle naxals . Whatever it may be, I agree that Amity Law ,Raipur is an absolutely haloed place for academics better than NUJS .

Oh Sorry it’s perhaps better than Leicester University , JNU, University of Calcutta,PU,SXC,MAC or even the CSSSC
.
Didn’t the PA tell you that all EC meetings ( special / ordinary)are held and fixed not at the behest of NKC(VC) but at the convenience of certain distinguished members of the EC who happen to be Supreme Court / High Court Judges or Ministers .
I guess you are saying that all these people timed him out since 2016 as they were scared of facing him and his distinguished lawyers in a meeting. I guess the EC members all got lucky because of Covid and were able to dodge him. I absolutely agree with your brilliant point of view and analogy

That’s why I again humbly submit and propose that SCM, who is a true upholder of human rights and a brilliant academic be appointed Ford Chair Professor at NUJS. A fitting appointment to a post held by the likes of Prof.U Baxi. The SJA should re-consider SCM and his brilliance which they had earlier overlooked. PA will confirm his brilliance.

How is a former terminated AR connected to all this ? Isn’t it true that a former terminated AR at NUJS is a runaway felon or are you saying that he is connected to SCM being timed out of NUJS? How can a runaway felon have influence to time out SCM from NUJS ? Or even return back?
PA has all the details. You must ask PA to clarify these issues.

Didn't SJA's actions cause SCM to run off to Raipur and take help of jungle Naxals to become Registrar? PA told me that NKC was dead set against letting SCM back and kept delaying special EC meetings on the same issue to time out SCM into giving up.

I can understand why PA wants SCM to return. Is a former AR returning to NUJS as well?

I humbly nominate SCM of Amity University , Raipur for the NUJS Ford Chair.He is a brilliant academic and upholder of human rights.

The SJA should run a campaign requesting NKC to nominate SCM to the Ford Chair.
NUJS will greatly benefit from his appointment.

I learnt about him from PA,all other details about him can be found out from PA. Talk to PA and find out the details.

Yes, Modi's clash with Ford Foundation was political. But it is also true that FordFoundation was in continuous and consistent violation with FCRA. Just because Nehru had personal chemistry with the then Ford Foundation honchos and it was literally an extension of the US Embassy (it continued to be so for many years and still has unique access) does not mean that it would get the same treatment as the UN agencies, which is outside the FCRA ambit.

It was Indira Gandhi's paronia politics that brought in FCRA but for some reason neither she nor her successors, including Vajpayee had Ford Foundation listed in the FCRA exempt list. Also note that Modi only pressed ahead with further amendments to what the UPA II had already brought in 2010. (Great) Manmohan allowed FCRA to get more draconian because of protests against more Russian nuclear reactors in TN. Two of his greatest advocates were then PC and KS, then powerful ministers. Now they sing a different tune.

Check Ford Foundation records. It has often given grants to organizations that did not have FCRA approval or allowed roundabouts to make the grants. Those increased after Gujarat riots and later under UPA II.

I have no love for Modi or any politician for that matter. Check records. The template that Modi followed for FCRA amendments after coming to power were drafted by a senior IPS officer who was one of the blue-eyed boys of PC when he was the HM in UPA II. Had UPA continued FCRA would have taken this exact form. Maybe Ford would not have got hit...or maybe it would have - if Modi is angered by the Gujarat riot angle, Congress was pissed with the AAP angle

Be that as it may, specifically for NUJS, the Ford-Modi angle was never there. The Chair was done in right from the start. The flicker of hope was extinguished by MPS when he did not have his way. The story of Ford is best know by the PA. Do not be fooled by the rank/hierarchy. Behind every successful man (VC) in NUJS is PA.

The Chair started as a scam. Rather to hide a scam. Selection of Chair Profs have always been a sham. Please don't be fooled that Prof Baxi or Justice Pal were the initial Chair Profs. The selection process has always been dodgy and Ford Foundation never cared much and no longer obligated to care. The incremental abuse that started in the initial years became institutionalized practice under MPS and PIB followed suit. Since then it has been a sinecure for regime friendly judges, mostly SC judges. Do not be awed by "positions held" by the grandees. Check what they actually did (or never did) and could/should have done.

For more details on the "actual stuff" contact PA. I am assuming that you have good rapport. Otherwise you will be shooed away or get greeted with a poker face.

https://www.livelaw.in/news-updates/calcutta-high-court-stay-ed-voice-sample-abhishek-banerjee-audiotape-leak-case-forgery-197887

Not surprising. Lord Taluk and Registrar Sen used to manipulate minutes. PIB and SAK did it as well. And now NKC. When a corrupt Registrar was booted out, the then AG (KD) in league with PIB, SAK and AMZ for years stalled the recruitment of a new Registrar on the spurious ground that the sacked Registrar had preferred an appeal. When this dodgy issue was pointed out by SJA during PIBOut in EC, the AG was backed by the then CJ, Jyoti B who is also well known for tacity engineering one of the longest strikes in Cal HC to ensure the elevation of his bro.

Or how certain judges of HC having close relations with KD, AMZ etc ensured that distance edu cases do not make meaningful progress; facilitate the burial of a HC initiated inquiry report by a former HC judge; and help a dodgy VC restart all the ills of PIB.

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/political-pulse/jk-shah-faesal-reinstated-in-ias-7892145/

Explains the downfall of SJA. Reality bites.

I get it that you want a 'young academic', but there is absolutely no reason why that person has to be from either of those two places only. In addition, have you actually considered that almost nobody from those places would actually apply for this position that only pays a pittance? If not, check the list of applicants from the last time a year back. NUJS is already employing multiple young and mid level professionals and academics as adjunct professors for example. At least ten have been so selected including law firm partners. So there is no logic in claiming that the institution is averse to capable young blood. But this position isn't good enough to attract any.

Sad state of affairs and the comments here are true, but let's remember that the first appointee was Upendra Baxi, appointed by Chimni. Baxi is an eminent scholar. Later, MP Singh similarly appointed Professor Rai (nowhere as eminent as Baxi, but still a scholar). Such people with publication and research records are needed, rather than judges (especially those who haven't even written a blogpost, let alone a journal article).

There is still hope for a good appointee if the students take action, citing Baxi and Rai as precedents. Remember that students at NALSAR are currently writing a petition to give to their Chancellor, regarding the next VC. What stops NUSJ students from doing the same???

What's the use of Lokur taking it up? He's not going to spend his own money to come over regularly. The Chair doesn't have the necessary funds to sponsor his monthly travel, acco etc. So the only people who would actually be interested are those who already live in Kolkata or at least in Bengal.

https://www.firstpost.com/india/cm-mamata-banerjee-influenced-witnesses-of-birbhum-violence-by-offering-govt-jobs-pil-in-calcutta-high-court-10598011.html

This litigation will go nowhere. Check how Ford Chairs have been offered as sinecures to the "faithful" and politically useful. But that applies for VC position as well.

Yes the AG made such a offer in the EC. But before the AG Dutta, Lord Taluk and Lord State Lokayukt were actively scouting for one of their "own" to take over as the Ford Chair. The duo initially offered it to the then CJ (soon to retire), Jyotirmoy Bhattacharya and later his successor Debashis Kar Gupta.

JB had other things at play and got the lucrative offer to head an inquiry at Vishva Bharati Universty that scalped a former VC, Registrar etc. Hence he declined the offer initially. The pay was bad and was already mired in controversy involving Justice Tarun Chatterjee. JB is also a former batchmate of state law minister.

It is easy to blame the state law minister for all the ills. And there is some motivated slander etc from a section of the faculty because it is the law minister who took the lead in PIBOut and subsequent inquiries. But internal party politics ensured that the trio of Lord Taluk, Lokayukt and AG Dutta had carte blanche. Even now the state law minister remains girdled by the "party govt", which operates through Lokayukt and certain other EC members. The new AG has kept himself away but is reasonably aware of what went down earlier.

Please note that it was JB who suggested the name of our current Registrar and helped Lord Taluk to install her in a highly illegal manner. And that appointment has continued till date. By the way JB has been appointed as the Sir Ashutosh Mookerjee Chair by NKC. The endowment was established earlier by the state edu dept. And the secretary's son is currently studying in NUJS. And we all know about how the state edu dept has functioned historically and over last decade.

When DKG was approached, Taluk and Lokayukt offered to increase the pay to Rs 1 lac/month. Lokayukt was particularly pushy and famously said (in Bengali) "Arrey this is easy money. You stay in Newtown. Just come and give a few lectures as per convenience. No one will question or keep tabs. Don't worry I will manage everything."

But DKG declined at the last minute since the controversy surrounding Ford Chair did not die out despite best attempts by Lord Taluk, Lokayukt and AG Dutta.

We all know how the Lokpal was "called" to the SC by someone who later became a Ford Chair after retirement. Given the "superlative performance" of the Lokpal, he is a strong contender for the Ford Chair. This is assuming that his utility in Delhi has been exhausted. He will be retiring soon.

Similarly, if GCG of SHRC has not exhausted his political capital, Ford Chair is another sinecure for his yeoman service in leading SHRC.

Based on what I know from PA and others, Ford Chairs have rarely operated independently. Firstly, why the hell? Secondly, it is more than implicit that the Chair is expected to strengthen the hands of the face (VC) of the vested interests that run NUJS irrespective of the political and judicial jerseys they wear.

The NUJS EC etc is studded with worthies. Any difference? Same for Ford Chair. Do not get awed by big names, past, present or future. Focus on what they actually do.

Also if the movie Usual Suspects teaches us anything, then look beyond the usual suspects, such as state law minister etc. Instead focus on "interests" - converging, diverging, overlapping etc

I remember when once this position was up for discussion during one of the EC Meetings in 2019.

The Advocate General Kishore Dutta literally offered it to the Chief Justice of the Calcutta HC during the meeting basically saying "Aap bas haan boliye, jo chair chahiye aapko dilwa denge" [in Bengali, however].

The AG of a state government openly offering favors to a sitting CJ and nobody batted an eye. Never had I seen such a shameful incident happen in my 30 years of legal and academic career.

Thankfully, that [...] lawyer [...] has now been removed from the position of the AG.

Absolutely right. But despite this a good quality person can still be appointed. For example, an NLU alum from the city who is based outside the city can be asked to take up the appointment This person can fly down twice a month and give a lecture. Or someone with assistant/assoc professor rank at NLSIU/Jindal can be poached by giving him/her a promotion to professor rank.

The terms of appointment are no longer the same as it used to be. FF doesn't provide funding anymore because of its own troubles with the government. The corpus barely pays 50000 per month. So the position would be mostly honorary. It is unlikely that people other than those already in the city would be interested. Last time very few applications were received from what we have been told, none of those quality ones.

These days it is very hard to find people in West Bengal like Justice Ruma Pal, who is respected throughout India for her legal wisdom and her honesty, and also has impressive academic credentials (Oxford grad). If a former Supreme Court judge from West Bengal has to be appointed, only two are currently living but both are ineligible. Justice AK Ganguly has been blacklisted from NUJS. Justice Pinaki Ghosh is currently the lokpal of India. This makes it likely that a retired High Court judge will be appointed. One possibility is Justice Girish Gupta, who is currently the chairman of the West Bengal State human rights commission (which seems to turn a blind eye to human rights violations).

You are right that the money is very low (perhaps deliberately so, to appoint someone mediocre) but technically the post would be open to a retired Supreme Court judge who earns lots as a private arbitrator or consultant but would like a professor designation next to his name. One person the college could approach is Justice Madan Lokur, who is anti-Modi and had been appointed by Mamata Banerjee to head an enquiry into Pegasus (which was quashed by the Supreme Court). He would presumably be cleared by the TMC yet is a very respected judge.

But sadly, the person will very likely be a local fellow.

I think one of three things will happen:

1) The appointee will mirror the background of the VC, i.e son of the soil, graduate of a local law college and current/former faculty at a local law college. So it could be someone like JK Das or SS Chatterjee from Hazra Law College, Rathin Bandopadhyay from Jalpaiguri Law College etc.

2) The appointee will be a retired High Court judge close to the ruling establishment. Perhaps it could be Amit Talukdar, who was acting VC of NUJS for 2-3 years. Or Madhumanti Mitra, a state judicial service judge later promoted to the High Court, who was acting registrar of NUJS.

3) The appointee will be someone in-house who is already a professor or associate professor at NUJS but not holding a chair. I think Arup Poddar would be the likely bet.

The SJA must intervene here and pushback against attempts to appoint TMC puppets or judges with dubious records.

First of all, the appointee should not be a retired judge, because most of them lack scholarly acumen and are very mediocre, barring the likes of Ruma Pal or Nariman. The best choice would be a fairly young alum who is of associate/assistant professor level somewhere and can be given an upgrade, just like MP Singh did to Sudhir and Shamnad. Or, a young lawyer with a good human rights record. Also, grads from NLUs, JNU or universities abroad should be given preference over North Bengal/Mysore types.

The options could be:

Lawyers: Arundhati Katju, Menaka Guruswamy, Gautam Bhatia, Arghya Sengupta, Mihira Sood, Karuna Nundy
Academics: Someone from Jindal or NLSIU, or Pratixa Baxi

https://www.nujs.edu/careers/ford-foundation-chair-at-nujs-11042022.pdf

The position was advertised on August 2021. Now it is being re-advertised. Several questions arise:

1. Why was it re-advertised? That too after so long?

2. Who will be on the selection panel?

3. The first Chair occupant was Upendra Baxi (when Chimni was VC). Then former Supreme Court Justice Ruma Pal and Prof Uday Raj Rai (when MP Singh was VC). Then former Chief Justice of India Althmas Kabir (during the transition from Singh to Bhat) and then former Supreme Court Justice Tarun Chatterjee (a questionable appointment, but nevertheless a former SC judge).Will an illustrious persons like Baxi or Justice Pal will once again occupy the Chair, or whether it will go to an underserving person handpicked by the TMC.