The faculty at NUJS keeps passing remarks of the quality and rigor of students of the university. But they fail to look at their shortcomings. We have professors who cannot speak a complete sentence in english or even understand law. The VC cannot pronounce words like criminology and that is his main subject apparently. Most professors are completely isolated from mainstream Indian and abroad academia because they can never an academic paper or even understand what an academic paper should look like. But ofc they have access to paid UGC journals and keep publishing stuff written by their students or other mentees. Let's look at the TA's which have newly been appointed APs. Every single one of them are so pathetic and sub-par. They didn't even desrve to be undergrad students at NUJS but are now apparently going to teach us. These TAs are all from different low-level government universities and are so insecure about it. None of them have a shred of intelligence or understanding of how academia functions. Specially the two-three TAs whose entire careers has been based around sucking upto the Vice Chancellor. They walk around the university as if they own the place, even though they don't know anything. They are absolutely power-hungry and are clear example of small men drunk on big power. This extremely low-level of upcoming faculty is going to be the death of NUJS in all sense. NLU studied kids who have even a little bit understanding of the NUJS VC and admin have kept themselves miles away from the university.
This distinction between TLC and NLU trained needs to stop. The latter often are urbane or quicker to adapt the mores of urbane. But TLC trained shouldn't be written off just like that. Allow yoursef to listen before judging them. A certain foreign educated (Ivy League), highly urbane teach who articled under one of the best known barristers of Cal HC was a terrible teacher. This teach was even being considered for judgeship in Cal HC on the basis of her connections, parentage et al. Didn't last a year at NUJS, muddled around in Cal HC, Delhi HC and eventually became part of the founding set of faculty members at Jindal (again based on connections). Got the Prof rank right at the outset.
Then there were certain visiting TLC teach (from South india) who taught a semester or two and the entire batches wanted them to stay back.
There will be teachers who can really teach from get go or grow in one. Some are what Bertrand Russel said: those who can't, teach. And that has nothing to do with NLU/TLC.
There will be many others who just get frazzled with teaching in class. But are awesome in one-to-one sessions or even small groups. There are some who can do great doctrinal research but completely out-of-sync with applied research. Some terrible in teaching but absolutely cracking in doing research on "what works".
But I will agree that the entire culture of teaching/research at NUJS has nosedived into a terminal spiral. The faculty members, especially the Noojies cannot escape their share of the blame. Previously, the excuse was "we are not permanent". Now what "VC controls promotions" ? What about the Professors then?
As students, as "consumers" we need to demand and enforce more. For that we cannot be flippant, dismissive and shallow about our demands and executing their enforcement.
In order for good teachers to keep teaching well, the students have to put in basic efforts. That no longer happens at NUJS. The VC says yes to every student demand that is about reducing quality or academic rigour. He does not agree to any of the real demands about improving quality or infra of course. As for research quality, that's not really changed. Those who used to do good research still do so. Those who didn't, still do not. The difference is that new good faculty aren't being attracted in that number under NKC or PIB, unlike under MPS. So the number of people like that is reducing. Another change is that previously many good students were genuinely interested in helping faculty do good research. These days most students act in a completely irresponsible and entitled manner. Hence they can't be relied upon for doing real work that needs any effort, even by the handful of good faculty still left.
While I broadly agree with your observations, let me try and built some nuance around it. The real issue is mediocrity breeding mediocrity. A mediocre or less than mediocre VC will seek out, attract and hire those chaps whose intellectual prowesses hover around his/her own. NKC is not a serious scholar by any measure and it's natural for him to seek out people of his calibre. There is a certain form of blindness at work here in that NKC cannot conceptualise what an excellent academic is or what excellent academic practices are. He has spent his entire education and work life in mediocre institutions and arguably the best place that he has worked at is KIIT, which in its essence is a slightly better version of Amity. Taking NUJS to the KIIT standards and way of operating is pretty much what he would think of as an achievement.
bottom line is that the place is screwed academically. but the party will keep going on as long as the recruitments are not hit.
Most centres are working on mediocre research papers. It's no different from a 10-member group project of 50K words. Most money allocated for research is going to pay stipends to make the project
So how many social science research projects have you been a part of that makes you an expert? Are you suggesting that the researchers who work on the project don't get paid? What sort of toxicity is this?
The centres have produced and are producing research and activities to different extent. Depends on the faculty heading it. Some are doing well, others aren't.
Students get their quality and rigour commented upon because they lack in both. You can do the same with regard to the faculty who are the same. However, you are not qualified to talk about their qualifications at present. You can make memes and post anon comments. Which you do anyway.
So do the faculty who pass muster in your eyes also hold similar opinions about the students? If so, then the students should still introspect about what they are doing in law school.
Excellent comment. The question that arises now is whether the selection of the next VC will similarly be a political farce orchestrated by Kishore Dutta.
The state govt controls everything in West Bengal. Honestly, I should have opted for NLUJ when there was time, there is just too much political interference here.
SB, AC & KY were made permanent but MS was not. She was the only person with class plans. Also, doesn’t help that the university is bureaucratic and lacks functionality. People who aren’t from Calcutta or Bengali don’t wanna work there
None of the people whom you mentioned is permanent. Only SB is an Assistant Professor, that too contractual. Others are still TAs. This is what happens when ignorant students pose as people who really know what's going on within the university.
Wait for elections, people. If the TMC gets less than 20/42 seats they will be on the backfoot and the dadagiri of their footsoldiers at NUJS (and other colleges) will stop.
such delusions of grandeur! NUJS is a tiny insignificant spec on the scheme of things that TMC is interested in. The election results will hardly have an influence on what the TMC elements plants to do vis-a-vis NUJS.
the rather particular variety of invertebrate species that are are the major predators in the NUJS ecosystem will morph to a saffron shell, if that is required (or to red, blue or whatever happens to be in vogue). The fortunes of NUJS are not going to shift because of some change of guard.
Then there were certain visiting TLC teach (from South india) who taught a semester or two and the entire batches wanted them to stay back.
There will be teachers who can really teach from get go or grow in one. Some are what Bertrand Russel said: those who can't, teach. And that has nothing to do with NLU/TLC.
There will be many others who just get frazzled with teaching in class. But are awesome in one-to-one sessions or even small groups. There are some who can do great doctrinal research but completely out-of-sync with applied research. Some terrible in teaching but absolutely cracking in doing research on "what works".
But I will agree that the entire culture of teaching/research at NUJS has nosedived into a terminal spiral. The faculty members, especially the Noojies cannot escape their share of the blame. Previously, the excuse was "we are not permanent". Now what "VC controls promotions" ? What about the Professors then?
As students, as "consumers" we need to demand and enforce more. For that we cannot be flippant, dismissive and shallow about our demands and executing their enforcement.
bottom line is that the place is screwed academically. but the party will keep going on as long as the recruitments are not hit.
the rather particular variety of invertebrate species that are are the major predators in the NUJS ecosystem will morph to a saffron shell, if that is required (or to red, blue or whatever happens to be in vogue). The fortunes of NUJS are not going to shift because of some change of guard.