All available evidence suggests that NLSIU gave themselves the title "Harvard of the East". There isn't a shred evidence to suggest that it was coined by an eminent jurist or politician. Yet, they casually use this boastful title as if it's an accepted truth, like the sky being blue. We now have a top Senior Advocate alum like Sanjoy Ghose using the title, which is a very big deal. In reality, NLSIU has been outdone on Rhodes scholarships and placements by other NLUs in the past few years. Furthermore, the nickname "Harvard of the East" is blatantly inaccurate because there are many law schools in Asia ranked ahead of NLSIU in the QS rankings in law (which ranks NLSIU in the lowly 201-250 bracket). Even Jindal is ranked higher than NLSIU in the QS rankings! Here is the full Asia-wise ranking from the top 100 alone:
Now, how can NLSIU still claim to be the Harvard of the East? Are they better than NUS Singapore, HKU Hong Kong, Tokyo University, Seoul University etc? These universities are in first-world countries with massive research budgets and top scholars. In terms of alumni achievements, their alumni have outperformed NLSIU. Tokyo University law faculty has produced a PM and Nobel laureate (Eisaku Sato), while I'm pretty sure NUS and HKU have secured more foreign law firm offers. Granted that NLSIU has won Jessup twice, but that alone can't justify the nickname!
Thus, NLSIU should stop using the title or, at the very least, change the title to "Harvard of India". Websites like B&B should also stop ass-licking and blindly reproduce the title.
Absolutely. This shows a lack of self-respect and ingrained insecurity. Just across the town, there is IISc (ranked #1 in the world for research on the QS ranking).
The title "Harvard of the East" has always been used within NLS in complete irony. I know nearly one thousand alumni, and not one of them takes that term seriously, or treats it as anything other than a giant joke.
As anyone with a passing interest in Greek drama would tell you, the Greeks used the concepts of the "Alazon" (the vain braggart) and the "Eiron" (the underwhelming counter to the Alazon) to simulate a direct dialogue between the characters and the audience.
Dialogue that is "of Eiron", or "ironic", is meant to talk to two audiences at once, but both within the same person. The first hears the dialogue, but does not understand what it means. The second, on hearing it, is aware of the first audience's lack of awareness, and is also aware of the underlying layers to that dialogue. Irony is a little like quantum superimposition- if an object can be in two places at once in quantum physics, then irony assumes that two memetic units are conveyed, even though only a single meme is immediately apparent.
Sadly, it seems that only one audience exists within you.
Up until 2 years ago I would have disputed the title of Harvard of the East. But following the appointment of Sudhir and the amazing faculty hires and changes done by him, I think the title is vindicated. Let's also look at the stellar alumni achievements: a QC, professors at Oxford and Columbia, partners at top global law firms, 3 Infosys Prize winners and 2 Time 100 honorees.
So the title is justified despite certain Asian countries doing better in the QS rankings. Not everything is about rankings.
Asian universities have got way more alumni in the first three categories. Infosys prize is no big deal in the global context no matter how much we salivate about it in India.
The teaching standard has fallen, the campus is overcrowded now, student achievements are at an all time low. NLSIU has actually started giving up all the advantages that it used to be known for ever since Sudhir took charge.
Because it’s true. NLSIU IS the Harvard of the East. The best brains out of 1.5 billion people study here. Show me ANY other law school ANYWHERE in the world with such tough entry requirements and such amazing alumni achievements. Choose any random NLSIU grad and pit him against the cream of Chinese, Singaporean or Japanese law grads. The NLSIU grad will win hands down.
All available evidence suggests that NLSIU gave themselves the title "Harvard of the East". There isn't a shred evidence to suggest that it was coined by an eminent jurist or politician. Yet, they casually use this boastful title as if it's an accepted truth, like the sky being blue. We now have a top Senior Advocate alum like Sanjoy Ghose using the title, which is a very big deal. In reality, NLSIU has been outdone on Rhodes scholarships and placements by other NLUs in the past few years. Furthermore, the nickname "Harvard of the East" is blatantly inaccurate because there are many law schools in Asia ranked ahead of NLSIU in the QS rankings in law (which ranks NLSIU in the lowly 201-250 bracket). Even Jindal is ranked higher than NLSIU in the QS rankings! Here is the full Asia-wise ranking from the top 100 alone:
NUS Singapore (12)
Tokyo University (19)
Hong Kong University (25)
Peking University (28)
Tsinghua University (29)
Seoul National University (45)
Renmin University (47)
Chinese University of Hong Kong (53)
Wuhan University (65)
Zhejiang University (65)
National Taiwan University (69)
Fudan University (76)
Kyoto University (78)
Shanghai Jiao Tong University (82)
City University of Hong Kong (84)
JGLS (84)
Waseda University (92)
Yonsei University (94)
https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2023/law-legal-studies
Now, how can NLSIU still claim to be the Harvard of the East? Are they better than NUS Singapore, HKU Hong Kong, Tokyo University, Seoul University etc? These universities are in first-world countries with massive research budgets and top scholars. In terms of alumni achievements, their alumni have outperformed NLSIU. Tokyo University law faculty has produced a PM and Nobel laureate (Eisaku Sato), while I'm pretty sure NUS and HKU have secured more foreign law firm offers. Granted that NLSIU has won Jessup twice, but that alone can't justify the nickname!
Thus, NLSIU should stop using the title or, at the very least, change the title to "Harvard of India". Websites like B&B should also stop ass-licking and blindly reproduce the title.
As anyone with a passing interest in Greek drama would tell you, the Greeks used the concepts of the "Alazon" (the vain braggart) and the "Eiron" (the underwhelming counter to the Alazon) to simulate a direct dialogue between the characters and the audience.
Dialogue that is "of Eiron", or "ironic", is meant to talk to two audiences at once, but both within the same person. The first hears the dialogue, but does not understand what it means. The second, on hearing it, is aware of the first audience's lack of awareness, and is also aware of the underlying layers to that dialogue. Irony is a little like quantum superimposition- if an object can be in two places at once in quantum physics, then irony assumes that two memetic units are conveyed, even though only a single meme is immediately apparent.
Sadly, it seems that only one audience exists within you.
So the title is justified despite certain Asian countries doing better in the QS rankings. Not everything is about rankings.