The students of NLSIU Bangalore have started a protest today, abstaining from classes all day, after learning that its interim administration is (probably) planning to reshuffle the Executive Council (EC), potentially to oppose the swift appointment of new vice chancellor (VC) Prof Sudhir Krishnaswamy.
The word on campus is that the administration is intending to not invite the three special invitee Supreme Court judges to the next EC meeting scheduled for 28 September.
Instead the number of Bar Council of India (BCI) members on the EC would be increased from 7 to 8.
We have not been able to authoritatively confirm the full invite list to the next EC, and NLSIU registrar Prof OV Nandimath has not responded to requests for comments.
However, Nandimath had also not denied messages seeking comments on the above allegation.
We have also sent an email to acting vice chancellor Prof MK Ramesh requesting comment.
The SBA had sent an email to students yesterday, with the subject “Emergency GBM! Protest from Tomorrow!”:
Dear all,
Our alums just heard from a staff member that composition of the EC is being changed. Under the NLS statute the Registrar and the VC have a lot of say in the composition of the EC. Among the 6 SC judges (all of whom had approved Sudhir’s name), 3 are special invitees.
The plan is not to call any of the 3, move Hon’ble Justice Bobde from the EC to the General Council, and increase the BCI representatives from 7 to 8. If this were to happen, and we have it from a credible source that it most definitely will, there is no way Sudhir is getting the majority vote (which he for sure was if the composition had remained the same).
We have to take drastic steps now as we only have two working days before our exams start. Whatever needs to be done has to be done right now. We are an emergency GBM at 9:15 pm tonight. Please turn up.
P.S: The time has come for a protest now.
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Videos of the meeting with the Admin have been uploaded.
1. We asked for more information from the alumns, but they weren't very helpful and never shared that letter.
2. Is it ethical? Presumably, yes, very much so. You could even argue that alumni have an ethical / fiduciary duty to take an interest in the process and the future of the institution. Please do point out any potential conflict you imagine though...
Most of all, who in their right mind would want to become VC of an educational institution after student agitated for her. If Sudhir has any self-respect he should turn this offer down and go someplace else.
Nobody expects or wants Sudhir to be another RVR. The college has a reputation primarily because of what the students have constantly achieved. RVR, all said and done, was smart enough to play the role of a facilitator on this front with things like access to the Academic block, extending library timings till 3 AM, granting access to the TC/LC, granting attendance for events, etc. The problem with the present admin is that it is actively taking away all of this, and if you were to ask anyone the names of below par faculty members, the interim VC and Registrar's names are going to close to the top.
Maybe you should stop presuming so much and look at the alumni support. I'm sure 2000 odd people have good reasons to back the students. Surely not all of them are 'motivated' as people like to claim.
1. MoU with Oxford and Columbia
2. Designation of top alumni as visiting profs
3. Filling EC with alumni
4. Expecting faculty to publish and do high quality research, be on their toes.
5. New faculty hiring with preference to alumni.
6. Liberal rules and end of moral policing.
7. Strategy to enter global rankings.
8. Applying for Institution of National Importance status.
9. Scholarships through funding from private sector.
10. Greater internationalisation
nlsquirks.in/executive-summary-of-the-joint-committee-report-on-the-process-of-vc-appointment/
1. Open meeting of faculty and students where the FAC and Registrar were squirming under questioning
2. FAC constituting a Joint Committee (2 professors + 2 students) to inquire into the prevailing issue
3. The Joint Committee COMPLETELY eviscerating the Registrar (for his dilatory tactics, conflict of interest) and the FAC for his illegitimate appointment (wow! did not see this coming) as well as failure to oversee a fair process
4. Joint Committee's report presented openly in a faculty-student body meeting
5. Registrar and FAC completely gobsmacked, and walking out
6. SBA decided to boycott exams (with the tacit support of MANY current senior faculty are than the Registrar-FAC coterie)
7. Midnight vigil and march, people sleeping in the quad etc
Mainstream media are covering the protest quite widely. Sad to see Bar & Bench marching ahead on this story. Of course, take the time you need to corroborate, offer all sides to comment and so on. But you're definitely behind on this one.
Btw, both the FAC and Registrar are in Delhi today. Get their versions if you need, but it's time you do some reporting.
[...] met the CJI and Bobde today during lunch, on behalf of the Alumni Association and SBA. The judges clarified that the procedure of appointment is finished, and that the order/letter appointing Sudhir will be issued in the next few days. Looks like "Nandi and Ramesh Go to Delhi" didn't pan out the way they hoped it would.
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