BJP Member of Parliament and advocate Meenakshi Lekhi is to introduce a private member’s bill in the Lok Sabha tomorrow, entitled... wait for it... the National Law Universities Bill 2019.
According to the list of business for 6 December 2019 (PDF, page 22), Lekhi has moved for leave to introduce the bill that would “provide for the transfer of administration and management of all National Law Universities to Central Government”.
Thanks to a dear reader for pointing us to the item.
At this point, there are perhaps some of these random points worth pondering over:
- The law ministry has at least twice stated that it has no plans (or apparent interest) to nationalise NLUs.
- In 2016, a student from DSNLU Vizag had drafted the National Law Universities Bill 2016, which had also been introduced in Lok Sabha (but floundered there).
- Since then, a (mostly digitally) vocal section of law students has long been clamouring for NLUs to be taken over by the Centre, supported by occasional student bodies, but clearly the idea has been catching on.
- Private bills usually have only very small odds of ever making it through.
- A takeover by the Centre could potentially provide more funding for NLUs, and stop them from being a state-level political football. But it’s also worth asking at this point whether it’s possible the cure could be worse than the disease?
- What will state governments say when their prize NLU mushrooms are potentially being taken away?
- And finally, would the BCI be into this idea or would they threaten to go on strike over it?
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I have down-voted you for making the unfair assumption.
Raise your voice against the ascribing the character of 'goon' to a JNU student; but also raise your voice against the continued failure of elite within the large and mushrooming NLU structure of not wanting to be associated with those perceived as lesser.
- Famous French quote given by Manmohan Singh while liberalising Indian economy in 1991.
1. Noted alumni and industry people are there in the governing body (like IIT and IIM)
2. Like IIT and IIM, all NLUs must be given uniform branding: NLU Bengaluru, NLU Hyderabad etc, instead of NLSIU, NALSAR etc.
3. Regular faculty exchanges between NLUs, e.g. an NLU Delhi professor teaching at NLU Patna.
4. CJI is Chancellor for all, CJ of local HC is Pro-Vice Chancellor, Attorney General of India is Visitor, and Chief Minister and state Advocate General are Special Invitees.
1. Sougata Bose of TMC, who introduced the first bill (now resigned and back to teaching at Harvard).
2. Maneka Gandhi of BJP
3. 3 MPs from Shiv Sena and DMK who have raised the issue in the current session itself.
4. Meenakshi Lekhi
The Congress has been quiet, but they have many lawyer MPs who are likely to support it.
[Note: That is the 2016 National Law Universities of India Bill that had been sponsored by MP Prof Sugata Bose.]
Quote: Thus, the bill by Lekhi must be used as a trigger for a nationwide protest by NLUs. Since NLSIU and NALSAR will not participate, Kolkata, Jodhpur, Bhopal, Raipur, Lucknow and Patiala can lead a protest.
www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/28-private-members-bills-introduced-in-lok-sabha/story-RAcTQ0mGpmdceU7rdGqPqK.html
economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/law-minister-plans-to-clear-backlog-in-1-year-with-fast-track-courts/articleshow/72411460.cms
If the "govt" is interested it would have brought in a Bill for NLUs. Or even better get a special scheme routed through UGC, MHRD or even the DOJ itself. Which therefore makes me wary of the true purpose of this pvt bill. Also what about the timing?
Also if the sons were really invested in reforms (as some here seem to hint) then it would have begun much earlier at NUJS or even now. Many who know both the brothers, know them very differently.
I do applaud the initiative (although we don't have a copy of the Bill) esp after two emphatic put-downs by RSP earlier.
As for the original comment (27), well, you do realise that nothing stops IIM Calcutta from asserting its brand as 'IIM Calcutta' even when IIM Sambalpur is still an 'IIM'.
If NLSIU's academic dominance can be swept away by a simple change of legal status, then maybe that dominance itself was just a grand display of buffoonery? Consider the following scenario:
There are two kids, you say one of them is illiterate and the other one, brilliant. The brilliant kid opposing the provision of the same books because his 'brilliance' would be challenged, is what is exactly your logic suggests. In that case, sure, you are still brilliant, but brilliant by opportunity, not brilliant because you are actually brilliant.
aka Vultures Capitalizing on student fees.
www.prsindia.org/billtrack/national-institute-design-amendment-bill-2019
Just thinking (uselessly) how did admins in NLUs commemorate Anti-Corruption Day?
Going by your logic, the only institution deserving of INI is JGLS, since that the only place where 'high quality of legal education' takes place, whether it be through research or teaching. None of the NLUs produce anything meaningful. If you see the list of people going to Oxford for a BCL, there are people from Punjab University and Nirma more than all other NLUs combined. I call BS on your 'qualitative' analysis.
Also, please do not counter by showing how JGLS is bad or X is bad. Tell me how NLUs are doing better than them, not how you think X is bad.
Regarding your last sentence, that's a bit counter-productive in the context of this debate. JGLS is already an IoE, so NLUs don't need to show they are doing better than it. If they can simply show that they aren't doing any worse, then that ought to satisfy the requirements of logic at least.
Because of the fact that NLUs are 'State level' universities, they cannot be funded by the Centre.
www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/norms-put-consent-fetters-on-bengal-vice-chancellors/cid/1726115?ref=more-from-west-bengal_west-bengal-page
www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/rapid-action-on-chancellor-new-rule/cid/1726113?ref=more-from-west-bengal_west-bengal-page
www.republicworld.com/india-news/general-news/maha-national-law-uni-students-council-president-backs-cab-shares-pre.html
indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/citizenship-amendment-bill-cab-protests-tiss-students-6166156/
Lizzie going places. After the SK fiasco and frictions with Messiah bhakts such moves elsewhere by the old guard was expected (so who is moving to CNLU and RGNUL?) Also this really works good for Lizzie who was previously declined by NLU Ranchi on the spurious ground that she acquired her LLB after completing doctorate in law and is a Prof of (Legal) History at NLS.
A similar argument was privately circulated by certain regime judges and agents of the state when Prof Manoj Sinha was expected to return to NUJS as VC. Despite all efforts, the state side succeeded in scaring Prof Sinha to stay away and that ensured many potential candidates stayed away from even applying. VCV was a late entry but he too got shot down by the state which needed someone like SSC or NKC.
Messiah and his honest Registrar (he said it) wouldn't want to rock the boat either, especially the latter who is eyeing a VC position in the near future. The junior is the Big Boss and Lizzie goes off to NLU Trichy despite "everything".
In NUJS, it is time for NKC to prove his utility to state govt. Inquiries need to be "settled" (he has already done one with concerning an alumna), "friends and patrons" need to be appointed to Chair and Centre positions, faculty recruitment will follow UGC Rules in a manner that favours are returned, CLATexit is initiated and the mother of all deals gets sanctioned before the elections in WB.
RGNUL guys cannot even get PJ and Co to release EC/FC/AC records. Students are already being used to give secret "evidence" against faculty members considered "enemies" of PJ and Co. While the RTI skirmish with administration continues, PJ is under no active threat. If NLUD doesn't happen, he will continue in RGNUL. Swach campus, dirty administration.
NLU Assam has apparently renewed JSP term and SKD will continue in NLUO if NLUD slips away. As with RGNUL, the students at NLUO squandered their chances. Plus SKD is quite thick with the faculty and EC members that matter.
While a VC here or there may exit, the institutional cultures of corruption will continue because nobody cares. Students who are otherwise ready to keyboard solidarity statements and sometimes go Messianic have no interest in "seeing things through" And therefore, history keeps repeating.
How is NKC doing? It's now what, six months? That's a reasonable amount of time to make preliminary assessments, especially given Justice Talukdar's long list of unfinished businesses, such as completion of inquiries, litigation etc. What has NKC been doing on those fronts? He has got 30% domicile implemented. Wouldn't be surprised if it goes to 50% under his watch as state playing some role in entrance exams
1. He's actually trying to make faculty at least a little more accountable than they used to be. I've been told by some faculty that more people are now adhering to deadlines. That's probably the least that can be expected of them, but even that was not happening under PIB or Lord Taluk.
2. A whole lot of programmes, seminars and workshops have been taking place lately. It almost looks like there's something that's going on every day. Can't vouch for all of these activities terms of quality though. Couple of events that I personally took part in were okay enough. Doubt everything would have been thus. But from what I know, student initiatives in terms of arranging events are usually being approved, which is again an improvement over the past 3 years. Amazingly, bills are actually getting cleared faster!
3. I heard quite a few research projects are being applied for. Again, this is mostly from faculty, but the VC is apparently okay with greater student involvement in these projects if the university gets those. That's probably a plus if it happens. More projects are usually better for the university profile and funds.
4. Got a few more teachers from outside on contract in the last semester and this one. Three of them were alum. Couple of practitioners. Audited one of their classes only, she was decent. Can't really say about all the others, but mixed lot probably based on what I heard from other students. VC has also promised new faculty recruitment in this semester. I hope good people including alum apply. If it's only favour exchange as some people here are saying, then that would be a bummer. But at least recruitment is finally happening after 6-7 people having left in the last few years.
5. Some infra is getting improved, with pending work being promised to be expedited. Probably too early to be commented upon. I'll believe it when I see it. But SJA seemed cautiously optimistic about this.
6. VC is again meeting those from other NLUs including CLAT meetings. Lord Taluk did a lot of harm by simply stopping all communication last year. Not sure about the immediate benefits of this, but can't harm probably.
7. VC is himself offering a paper this semester. This can go both ways probably and I haven't opted for it myself. But I guess VCs should at least teach a bit occasionally to stay in touch with the students? Others may differ on this point.
8. The guy does keep himself available throughout the day for everyday including students. No complaints on those grounds. The PA system isn't filtering people out as effectively as it had been doing under Lord Taluk.
9. Academic regulations and curriculum are being reviewed and modified apparently. Not sure exactly how, but SJA has reps in those discussions, so got to keep some faith on them as of now.
As for the cons:
1. The really toxic people are still there. They are going around as if nothing ever happened. No inquiry has been properly concluded nor sanctions issued. The bad faculty are still going to be around even if new people come in.
2. New registrar, accounts officer have not been appointed yet. Heard about interviews earlier, but no word since then.
3. Getting the feel of more UGC rules being relied upon instead of actual quality and cutting through red tape. Maybe some is needed for accountability, but surely we can't be dictated entirely by those archaic stuff.
4. No visible change in infra yet, only promises so far. More hostel room is definitely needed.
5. No reforms suggested by the UTC yet acted upon visibly at least. The regulation review and recruitment maybe, but no results yet.
6. No clear way so far to solve fund crunch. Distance ed programs are still in the doldrums, sponsors aren't being actively hunted that students are in the know of.
7. Litigations pending still.
8. Inquiries aren't being expedited, but that's probably as much because of the shameless faculty and staff involved as the VC.
9. Instances of violence and harassment still taking place on campus, no strict steps from admin yet.
That's it in a nutshell from my side. Before people start accusing me to belong to pro or anti vc groups, let me clarify, I'm yet in two minds myself. Can't give him a clean bill of efficiency and reform, can't condemn him outright either. He's surely better than his immediate predecessor or maybe than PIB too from what I have seen of the latter. But honestly, that bar was never set too high to begin with. He seems interested to work with the students and the people inside so far.
barandbench.com/nlsiu-faculty-prof-vs-elizabeth-to-be-next-vice-chancellor-of-tnnlu-trichy-to-be-confirmed/
epaper.thestatesman.com/2551590/Kolkata-The-Statesman/13TH-FEBRUARY-2020#page/16/1
PRS has this bill by Swagata Bose, but it is an old one.
164.100.47.4/BillsTexts/LSBillTexts/Asintroduced/2733.pdf
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