As we had first reported late last month, NLU Delhi had begun looking for a new vice chancellor (VC), in what will no doubt be one of the most hotly-contested jobs in the field.
The two academics and one judge heading up the search committee - NLU Jabalpur VC Prof Balraj Chauhan, NLIU Bhopal VC Prof V Vijaykumar and Delhi high court Justice GS Sistani - have now posted the job description (JD) on the NLU Delhi website.
In what will be welcome news for those hoping that NLU Delhi can attract the widest possible range of candidates, the job will not necessarily require 10 years of professorship experience from applicants, unlike NLSIU Bangalore’s recent JD had stipulated, which had excluded a lot of promising young academics.
In fact, NLU Delhi’s key language is near-identical to that in the recent TNNLU Tiruchirappalli call for a new VC we had reported.
NLU Delhi’s requirements (emphasis added):
Vice Chancellor to be a person possessing the highest level of competence, integrity, morals and institutional commitment is to be appointed as Vice-Chancellor. The person to be appointed as a Vice-Chancellor should be a distinguished academician, with a minimum of ten years of experience as Professor in a University or ten years of experience in a reputed research and / or academic administrative organisation with proof of having demonstrated academic leadership.
TNNLU had stipulated “ten years’ of experience in a reputed research and/or academic administrative organization with proof of having demonstrated academic leadership”.
(Eagle eyed readers may spot that NLU Delhi preferred using British English spelling rather than US English, and removed a well-intentioned but incorrectly-used apostrophe.)
The NLU Delhi Act, incidentally, does not spell out any explicit experience requirement, other than being an “academic person and an outstanding scholar in law or an eminent jurist”.
The financial rewards for what is currently still Prof Ranbir Singh’s job (potentially up until September 2020) will be Rs 2.1 lakh per month base salary, plus additional allowances of around Rs 38,000.
Plus a swish house on campus in Dwarka, of course.
The other perks, such as getting to connect with a who’s who of eminent Delhi advocates and judges, are harder to enumerate.
Notification copy below, and links to original PDF documents:
Comments
While change cometh at Dwarka, its is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIrvSJwwJUE at NUJS.
When we meet NKC, AG and Co soon, we will croon this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFkHP-Sh56E
1. Mrinal S, NLUD
2. Tarunabh K, Oxford
3. Lavanya R, Oxford
4. V Umakanth, NUS
5. Arun T, Azim Premji
6. Nigam N, BML Munjal
7. Prabha K, King's College
8. Srividhya R, Texas
9. Neha Jain, EUI
10. Surya Deva, Hong Kong
11. VK Unni, IIM Calcutta
12. Anurag A, IIM Ahmedabad
13. VC Vivekanandan, HNLU
14. Shubhankar D, Porstmouth
15. Bharat Desai, JNU
https://indiankanoon.org/doc/2048916/
Prof Sridhar A should be a good bet (check with NALSAR folks) as also Arun T (ex-NLS, APU). There are some NLS alums who have recently returned to India and teaching in Ashoka and other pvt institutions. They do not have min. 10 years of "professorial" experience but they have solid academic/work ex. Whether they will be considered is anybody's guess.
The fact that both NLUD and TNNLS job descriptions for VC have expressed a degree of disdain for the 10-yr rule makes all of us hopeful that the old guard have lost their veto. However, this doesn't mean home run for the Young Turks.
SKDR and the Jaswals have successfully survived recent scares. After the setback in NLS, the old guard will make strong efforts to have their "own" in as many NLUs as possible, including NLUD.
These folks did not need to write about India - there is a lot of pressure for Indians abroad to just write about the country they are in. Even comparative work has limited value in some very top universities. That these folks still chose to write about India could betray some kind of love of country also.
Yes it is excellent that those who came back came back - and yes they should be examples to all of us. But why are you allowed to judge those in academe who chose to stay abroad, and not the hundreds of students from NLUs everywhere who do not even consider academia in favour of high paying Corp jobs ? Why are we expecting idealism and service mindedness from the one group only? They do enough being in academia I think - we should let them be.
And if they criticise indian academia - maybe respond to criticism and improve things - rather than dissolve into ad hominem insults. They could be criticising out of love.
It is so odd to me that so many NLU students are so privileged and have parents and friends who serve at all levels of government and yet do so little to give back to the institution. Even those who aren’t privileged hardly consider giving up short term interests to organise and protest and ask for a better education. JNU is so good in terms of academics and faculty only because it’s students would have protested if they weren’t, and they protest for the rights of their professors.
And ofcourse you can criticise while not being a part of the institution. Often the best criticism comes from those who aren’t part of the thing. Criticism is not all about tearing someone down- it can also be about helping to make something you love better. Nobody is obligated to suffer and sacrifice personal goals and accomplishments just so they can point out that this system is broken.
You want better academics? Treat the ones you have better. Demand that teachers get paid fairly for all they do. Protect them from being bullied and yes- jailed for their opinions or identity.
1 it wasn’t a stray incident- it was the only incident reported in which a university committee found him guilty. There could be others out there, and if you are to believe the very public statements made by one human rights activist who spent a lot of time at ALF- this was a pattern with Liang.
2 liang is neither a towering intellectual nor sudhirs equivalent really , he only recently received his PhD - compared to Krishnaswamy, and as much as he was the darling of the media- has little serious academic work to his name. By this I mean peer reviewed journal articles.
3- he certainly did not pioneer copy left- knowing any history of copy left would show that the concept was invented in the 1980s-when liang was still in school.
4- even if one were to accede that liang had some presence among the access to knowledge community in India, he’d fall well behind folks like Shamnad, Pranesh Prakash, and even Sunil Abhraham- just of the top of my head.
5 liang isn’t the only one to get the Infosys prize - shamnad got it too, as have other academics in the law and social sciences space- including AR Vasavi, Ayesha Kidwai,Nandini Sundar, Amita Baviskara, and PBM. - they aren’t lawyers- but they are in the same law and society space as liang was in. Besides - having just this one prize be some kind of qualifier would not make sense - there are many prizes out there that a lot of people win every year.
6- liang allegedly abused interns while he was working at ALF. So much for that counting amongst his merits. But it is also worth questioning how much of the work at ALF was done by liang- oral histories of how the organisation was founded place the Narain brothers at the moment of founding - and a few others from that NLS batch - but not liang.
7- exactly what great work as the dean at Ambedkar? Cause I haven’t read anything good coming out of there for a while, nor have I students flocking there or emerging from there as good academics.
8- I wonder if these folks would consider themselves “sishyas” as for Liangs mentoring - well he allegedly abused his power to hit on students so, that doesn’t hold much water. It might also be worth considering if Lawrence sought out and nurtured any talent on his own - or if ambitious students simply sought him out as a status marker.
8- this is not to say Lawrence didn’t do anything good in life . I enjoyed his theatrical classroom exertions on law and popular culture as much as the next person. But to be put in a position of power over students again- many who only a few years ago came forward bravely to talk about their sexual assaults- he would have to be pretty exceptional no? is he really so exceptional? such a once-in-a-blue-moon genius that we should overlook codes of basic human decency with regard to how one treats vulnerable students - or whether one believes victims of trauma?
Is Lawrence liang in short - the reincarnation of the lord or of Gandhi or manu or Macaulay? If he is then maybe we can start talking about trying to rehabilitate him. - hell we shouldn’t even do that for manu or Macaulay or Gandhi or the lord.
So please- take that weak apologist ish elsewhere. This redefining of merit to only include the privileged is transparent and old hat.
Besides we're not petty enough to let NLUD ruin itself just to get rid of your beloved.
-RGNULite
In terms of administrative capability he founded and managed India's top legal NGO from scratch (Alternative Legal Forum) and did great work as Dean of the law programme at Ambedkar University. Furthermore, he has mentored many people at ALF who have gone on to become successful scholars. Among his former shishyas are Danish Haque and Prashant Iyengar (NALSAR toppers who taught at Jindal) and Vishwas Devaiah (who taught at NUJS and Jindal).
I thus urge my friends at NLUD to consider Lawrence Liang's name if they are proposing names to Justice Sistani.
https://slgc.aud.ac.in/school-faculty/prof-lawrence-liang
On the plus side, it is good that AUD was flexible enough to waive seniority and make someone in their early 40s and a recent PhD graduate Professor and Dean. NLUs should also do the same. However, on the minus side, it is strange why a person with few academic publications is held in such high esteem and acclaimed as a top scholar. In fact, even Sudhir K's bio shows just ONE journal article (EPW) and the rest newspaper and web articles (including one for Legally India).
http://azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/SitePages/sudhir-krishnaswamy.aspx
https://www.legallyindia.com/201401204257/Constitutional-law/koushal-v-naz-review-or-reference
The same is also true for Faizan Mustafa. Karan Thapar recently called him one of India's top constitutional law jurists, but he mainly writes for newspapers and websites.
I think discussions over NLU VCship should focus on this. What does the word "jurist" in the NLUD ad mean? Can you be a jurist on the basis of newspaper and web articles, or are academic publications needed? Do we give too much importance to media savvy people? Do NLSIU alumni get fellowships and professorships abroad on the strength of connections rather than academic work? Does even Kian Ganz believe that an article on Legally India deserves the same weightage as an article in a journal?
https://watson.brown.edu/southasia/files/southasia/imce/people/Faculty/VisitingScholars/KrishnaswamyCVJune2017.pdf
https://www.sudhirkrishnaswamy.com/articles/
The only person with a comparable publication CV in indian academia might be Arun Thiruvengadam
https://azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/SitePages/arun-k-thiruvengadam.aspx
Ofcourse ideally one chooses quality over quantity - but as far as baseline expectations about one being an academic who researches and writes and publishes and is generally engaged within the academe is concerned- this works as a rudimentary measure.
If you’re working on India you’re more likely to find an audience among indian journals.
https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=nl&user=fIhuldYAAAAJ
I am sure there will be many more, not even counting people like BS Chimni. This associate professor washes all your arguments that Indian people only find an Indian audience.
As the discretion of selection committee shall be final as it deems fit.
Why not these advertisements have at least some minimum eligibility criteria.
There are examples of nlu's where VC was selected in same way but didn't had even basic LLB degree.
Sham ppls can justify such recruitment by anyhow means.
But it mockery of legal education system in India.
https://barandbench.com/my-first-priority-is-to-rebuild-the-community-nlsiu-vice-chancellor-prof-sudhir-krishnaswamy-part-i/
Thus, the key will be to convince the judge that quality is more important than quantity. Three issues will be key:
1. Can the search committee institute a rule giving preference to LLB/LLM/PhD holders of NLUs, or the top 200 universities in the QS rankings?
2. If a person's VCship at an NLU has faced protests and adverse student reports, can that disqualify a person?
3. Jaswal's CV does not list the actual journals and book chapters, but many are likely to be obscure Indian journals and publishing houses. Can the search committee draw up regulations to only include journals indexed in SCOPUS (which includes EPW and JILI), Washington & Lee (which includes law reviews of many NLUs) and Hein Online? Similarly, can only publications by the following count: OUP, CUP, Hart, Bloomsbury, Routledge, Sage etc, instead of ICFAI, Allahabad Law Agency etc? Alternatively, can there be a tiered points system?
https://rgnul.ac.in/Resume/27cf20c7-d72f-4f84-92d0-245c00228927.pdf
In case of Shubhankar if we see similar legal systems and hiring practises all his peers have a Masters (in may cases more than one) and a Ph.D. - now that's not to say that he's not qualified. He is and has many good publications.
And a Phd or equivalent from a world's top 25 law school is very very much a mark of good academician. There's a reason people spend five years of their life to do that.
Plus in his case, can you please tell us what is his administrative experience - because we are looking for a VC. We have Mrinal, Anup, Aparna, Arul etc. to write good publications - we want someone who can support all of them, support the research culuture that we are building, keep faculty factionalism in check, etc.
Actually not the most savy political opertor.
P.S.: As an aside an old interview of him I found during his last few days at NLUD https://glasnostnludelhi.wordpress.com/2014/08/27/the-musings-of-a-registrar-with-prof-dr-srikrishna-deva-rao/
This is a disgusting comments. Academicians in NLUs are treated like garbage: low salary, vindictive behaviour from insecure older colleagues and admin (especially if you are an NLU alum) and ungrateful and abusive students like you. How dare you blame them for going abroad. Why don't you say the same of people working in foreign law firms?
https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/rs-260-crore-grant-for-iiest/cid/1711329
1. Institution of Eminence/Institution of National Importance status: Is planning for it, as he also said to LI (but there will surely be opposition from Manan Mishra, and this means MHRD funding and control).
2. Faculty hiring: EC has green lighted it (this is BIG NEWS, as alumni will certainly be preferred)..
3. Domicile reservation: He seems to be open to it on the ground that Karnataka has good schools and a culture of education (it can be argued that this also applies to Delhi, Maharashtra, Bengal and southern states and will thus not harm NLUD, NALSAR, NUJS or MNLU, but not so sure about Hindi belt and smaller states)
But I disagree with one thing he says: "Except for the Jindal Global Law School, most of the vibrant private institutions are here." This is simply not true. The top private law schools are JGLS, Symbi, Nirma, Bennett, Munjal, Amity and Christ. Only Christ is in Karnataka.
https://barandbench.com/if-the-institution-of-eminence-tag-is-a-recognition-of-success-we-should-be-up-for-consideration-nlsiu-vc-prof-sudhir-krishnaswamy-part-ii/
'domicile' quota in NLSIU, Sudhir cannot oppose it.
So if a domicile quota comes with increasing state funds - its a win win for .
Teaches Company law, Competition law and Capital Markets. Is amazing.
Might prefer to stay in Delhi. Sure they’ll be younger and lack experience but they’ll also be hungry.
I think focusing on just despairing about people who want to leave is pointless. There absolutely can exist a future where nlud nls Nalsar and most other NLUs can be doing quite well . It’s better how to figure out how to get to that future instead.
How long do we have to wait till we can start calling-out the bhakts?
In comparison, appointments to ad-hoc positions can be made by the VC in a discretionary manner without holding formal interviews. These appointments are usually made on an annual basis. Since NLSIU does not have classes in October, you may well see such appointments in the November-January and March-May trimesters. It is simply too early to be demanding fresh appointments when it has hardly been 20 days since he assumed office.
November isn't yet that far off, I would have thought the demo classes and interviews for ad hoc appointments would be on right now.
Anyhow, I have my popcorn and waiting to see what the chosen one is able to do.
https://www.iimb.ac.in/user/148/anil-b-suraj
2. His entire education is from NLSIU - undergrad, grad and doctoral. While still pretty great, it helps when a person is 'well travelled' as it allows you to build networks across spaces.
Not saying any of this is a deal breaker. Just attempting to rationalize in response to your query.
"Here are 10 ways in which Sudhir will transform NLSIU and why there is so much resistance to him:
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"
As an outsider I am sure that the only one out of these that could have happened without the world being told is #6. Can someone currently at NLS comment on the same?
Flight from Delhi = Rs 8 to 10,000 max
Costs of in-house accommodation for 20 days in a year, with food etc = Rs 50,000 to 60,000 max
Honorarium = Rs 3,0000 to 5,000 a day x 15 days = Rs 75,000 max
TOTAL = Rs 1.5 to 2 lakhs a year max
Thus, 1 regular assistant prof = 6 to 8 visiting profs for 90 days in all.
Assistant professors stay within the university, contribute to research within the university, teach mandatory courses without which the degree would be specious. Do tons of service for the universties - organising conferences , mentoring students, serving on editorial boards etc.
Besides there are pedagogic reasons to spread out learning over a longer period of time. It helps to have several evaluative tests built in to the curriculum, several activities etc.
Not to say that visiting professors have no value - just that replacing one with the other because of “financial sense” might be overlooking the value that permanent faculty members bring.
- Around 10 profs in company law
- 4-5 in tax law
- 4-5 in insurance law
- 4-5 in competition law
- 4-5 in trade law
- 4-5 in IP/IT/media law
-4-5 in arbitration
- 2-3 in infrastructure sector laws
- 2-3 in real estate law
- 2-3 in maritime and transport law
- 2-3 in white collar crime
In addition, a list of around 20 to 30 practitioners can be made (not all practitioners are good at teaching).
2 Fast-tracking promotions also have to follow UGC rules, and very strictly so (due to introduction of RTI which dissuades out-of-turn promotions like ones granted to Shamnad and Sudhir).
3 Lesser teaching hours fails to happen due to 1. Less than really needed (for lesser working hours) number of faculty is recruited and then every bit of their time is extracted to stay within budgetary constraints.
All of you keep making suggestions without providing the answer we in the University need - money! Arrange that and things improve. And please don't say INI or one of the other not-real-possibilities for these institutions today. It is too small a student body for the political elite to care.
https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/business-of-life/the-lawyer-who-chose-to-help-farmers-grow-11571160199736.html
If yes, then over how much time will such courses be structured given that the 'visiting' person must have a full time job elsewhere to which he or she may return?
Say, hypothetically, we found someone to come over for 2 weeks (is that much of a holiday possible to get in the market today), will he or she be able to pack in 60 hours of teaching in 14 days? 4 hours of Labour law everyday for 2 weeks, or Admin law or....
Will he or she have this much material on his or her tips to teach for extended periods everyday without getting much time to prep? Will students be able to sit through such rigours?
What about making exam papers, checking 120 odd answer sheets, marking term papers. Doesn't sound like a visiting job to me. Kindly think these things through passing verdicts on the 'only feasible' options.
https://twitter.com/protests_at_ail
https://www.instagram.com/protests.at.ail
"Trouble began in the premier law university last week when two senior professors Prof. [...] and Associate professor [..] were 'removed' by executive council...
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/indore/Lawlessness-in-National-Law-University/articleshow/10386284.cms
http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/bhopal-law-varsity-sacks-two-profs-for-not-checking-answersheets/860479/
p.s. I'm not from NLUD, nor have any particular prejudice in favour of or against it.
Kian, are you suggesting that when certain stories are broken by your "competitors" then you wouldn't simply walk away from those stories?
It is interesting to note how AIL admin are trying to pass themselves off as under direct "army management". Sure they have been set up by an Army affiliated group. The difference may not be apples and oranges but certainly orange and clementine.
AIL had also started in Patiala (Kian, you covered RGNUL pretty late) before moving to Mohali. RGNUL has quite a few faculty folks and PG students from AIL. RGNUL's previous Registrar was an AIL veteran and fairly involved in the "crimes of PJ"
But we've been keeping an eye on the AIL situation since Sunday and will continue to monitor.
On a side note - AIL is in a pretty interesting position. As far as I understand, it's de facto private, though more than 90% of students are there under either military or state reservation, and nearly the entire admin and teachers are ex-military. If joining this kind of university as a student, why would you not expect the administration to be very top-down / archaic?
1. It is set-up by the AWES (or the Army Welfare Education Society) which has a serving officer at the very top (usually a Major General).
2. The Registrar is appointed by the Army and usually is a serving officer of the rank of Colonel, or sometimes a retired army officer.
3. The Patron (a position similar to Visitor, but not quite) is the GOC-in-C, Western Command.
The management and running of the place has always been in the hands of the Indian Army. The initial campus in Patiala was within the Cantonment. The academic leadership is civilian, and affiliation lies with the Punjabi University as AIL is currently in Mohali, Punjab and therefore outside the territorial scope of Punjab University, Chandigarh.
That said, the authorities iron-fist is deplorable. However, the final decision will be taken by whoever is the current GOC-in-C, Western Command at Chandimandir.
History however suggests that despite such "ulterior" moves, questionable candidates continue to be appointed. A few such examples are mentioned here https://www.legallyindia.com/lawschools/opinion-ex-student-bar-association-prez-arjun-agarwal-on-how-not-to-choose-a-vice-chancellor-20190609-10619, including someone who is now in the NLUD VC selection committee and a confidant of RS.
Another NLUD VC search committee member was canvassed to bring in transparency and other such mythical things
https://www.legallyindia.com/lawschools/nlsiu-prof-vijayakumar-to-join-nliu-as-vc-after-students-successfully-bat-away-less-preferred-vc-nominee-20180514-9343
Maybe he really is better than SSS who despite the shenanigans at NLIU https://barandbench.com/mp-cj-new-nliu-director/ is supposedly the UGC nominee in the Academic Council of NUJS!
But it will be be interesting to know what this fabled VC has done about the following, especially when the decision to conduct an inquiry was taken just before his appointment
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/retired-justice-to-probe-degree-scam-in-nliu/articleshow/64049887.cms
Eight months after his appointment this report came in https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/panel-seeks-fir-against-nine-professors-and-staff-of-nliu/articleshow/67607759.cms
Have those who have been named still drawing salaries or so-called subsistence pay? Or were things quietly sent six feet under because there are just too many "futures" involved https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/failed-47-times-but-got-nliu-degree/articleshow/67608364.cms
Maybe this is how "forward looking" rolls. Preferably, don't inquire (the Sudhir model). However, if inquiries have started, then dilute or bury (followed presumably by administrations in RMLNLU, NLIU, NUJS, RGNUL etc)
To me this is a cautionary tale. Students made demands (justifiably) for transparency and good governance. They even fought off state attempts to install a questionable candidate as VC https://www.legallyindia.com/lawschools/nliu-students-red-light-allahabad-uni-s-bp-singh-as-new-director-choice-question-opacity-in-director-appointment-process-20180509-9337
But did they still get f****d? And will things necessarily get solved if a student body https://www.legallyindia.com/lawschools/nliu-sba-formation-20180730-9470 is is "allowed"?
For all the frentic commentary here, I wouldn't be surprised if the wise men don't bring in one of their friends or proteges as NLUD VC. Also do we have any conclusive evidence that so-called NLU-trained VC candidates are as "radical" and "transparent" as they are touted to be? Have we seen anything happening on that front at NLSIU - they now have a great VC-Registrar combination but no news of any inquiry on how budget deficits happened and were approved for successive years.
The more things change, the more they remain the same. We are like slaves looking for incremental improvements instead of realizing that we do have the strength to seize (and not just rhetorically demand) meaningful change.
No wonder the (paper) lions do not concern themselves with the opinions of sheep (like us).
Do you really wait for a while before reporting on student protests in NLUs? Maybe it is a recent thing because of the frequency of student protests and how little they are achieving in "real" terms. Some stuttered despite a good start (NUJS, RGNUL and previously NLU Ranchi), some probably ended before they even began (HPNLU), some others never went the distance (NLUO and previously RMLNLU, CNLU, NLUJAA) and a select few (NLIU, HNLU, NLSIU) will hopefully be proved right to unconditionally trust VCs that they successfully secured.
While the slugfest roils NLUs, students in non-NLU law schools too have been blowing whistles on their administrations, such as Symbiosis, Amity and now AIL. But you have largely kept away or waited and watched.
Some have criticized you for being a supposed agent provocateur but I would urge you to remain a muckraker and nudge, C(r)ass(ly).
1. PSJ is very much in office and its business as usual. No real change in power dynamics etc
2. Other than Admin Office who was made the fall guy by PSJ and Co., the others are merrily (s)trolling as before
3. Opacity rules. Have we been able to get a copy of the inquiry report against AO? Do we even have access to the minutes and agenda notes of the various EC, FC etc meetings? Only now NLSIU students are getting to know about deficits and other inside details (that too with a little peek-in). NUJS students are uncovering massive scams after going through similar records.
4. What happened to the complaints that found support in NCW report? FM merrily made the entire thing look "political". He also made certain "offers" subsequently in response to being called out (seriously, congrats for that). Although "third-party" interlopers can be tricky, it may not have been a bad idea to actually make FM walk his talk.
I will admit that there is a risk to such a move. I am reliably told that FM was very resistant to submissions by NUJS students when he was part of the University Review Commission (URC). However, the student body was relentless and kept dishing out damning evidence. FM realized that to maintain his "image" he couldn't entirely ignore or risk suppressing the evidence. And yet if you were to actually read the report, you will find that the URC did dilute and avoid doing a thorough review.
Later too, when HNLU, NLIU, NLUO, HPNLU (and earlier NLU Ranchi and CNLU) had erupted in protests, FM chose to remain silent (maybe that spoke a thousand words). Maybe he was busy pontificating on other "national" affairs. Come mid-Nov we will again see FM hector.
However, the upside of such a move is that we all know FM. It isn't as if we would have had to agree to his prescriptions. But making FM walk his talk would have left him exposed. Most likely he would have stayed away as he admittedly did from our Academic Council. However, if he had actually walked, even then he would have been left exposed.
5. With the old guard and their ways still in place, do we really expect wonders to happen if and when PSJ were to move to NLUD or elsewhere? Did our protests result in durable changes or kick-start a process whereby we would have been cleansed off the ills of PSJ?
6. Clearly URC can go sideways. But did we even get that to happen? Why not a special audit?
Maybe I am all wrong. Tell me, what did we tangibly achieve?
Except Lord Taluk was no Justice Lodha. The "lost decade" of NUJS started with PIB, pursued with paralyzing efficiency by Lord Taluk and the icing is to be completed by NKC.
Saffron trolls please don't start with your useless drivel. If only "invitations" to famed "IDG sessions" did the trick. So many worthies came and went while PIB, Lord Taluk and now NKC kept hollowing us out.
Poriborton apparently came in 2011. Later Acche Din came in 2014. New India arrived in 2019. Now SG is supposed to come in 2021.
Wouldn't know if these are/were myths. But AG isn't. Very real. And actively doing real damage. Everyday. Relentlessly.
Btw, SG is well known for dropping balls.
ugc is free is have whatever rules it wants. people like shubankar are free to ignore them
https://www.livelaw.in/news-updates/up-govt-bans-use-of-mobile-phones-in-college-universities-149052
I don't intend to bring in "politics" because this https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/congress-leader-sanmoy-banerjee-arrested-in-bengal-party-attacks-mamata-banerjee-2119167 tactic cuts across political divides. It is a bit rich for Congress to complain when you take this into account https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/dark-chapter-worse/294570
I am not getting into examples by others, including the saffron brigade. I only brought up this WB example to underline a point - whenever there is a dominant state interest involved in the affairs of a NLU, student protests have yielded middling results. Of course in some instances, the students may have capitulated early (lack of experience, unity, extreme apathy by the state and/or judiciary etc).
I am reliably told that even when WB was a Red Citadel, the then AGs and state nominees always maintained fair distance. Sure there was politicking to favour folks for jobs, tenders, contracts and many reportedly made fortunes etc. Those are serious issues and probably haunts us even now.
Even with this government, all AGs before KD stayed away from micromanagement. Maybe the state nominees should have scrutinized the actions and omissions of PIB and Co. But KD isn't doing that.
He is actively intervening to ensure placement of apparatchiks; inquiries are killed off or severely diluted (has already happened in a matter involving an alumna); erosion of financial and administrative autonomy; binding NUJS to financially ruinous (but profitable for powers that be in plural ways) projects by ensuring opaque decision-making.
Till date (un)surprsingly, KD was getting active support from judicial nominees. Difficult to predict whether the current political fluidity will necessarily change things.
Again, before comparing us to what NLSIU and HNLU students achieved (kudos to them and hopefully NLUD will also get a good VC), please do consider the role played by the state and its agents as also the SC/HC nominees.
https://www.thehindu.com/society/constitutional-and-political-history-must-be-compulsory-says-nlsiu-vice-chancellor-sudhir-krishnaswamy/article29734296.ece
So, why are you provoking a VC to oppose the students' protests?
It is one thing to say that "I am new and need time to get the facts" and quite another to say lets get forward looking and constructive by papering over how deficits running into crores across an extended number of years happened in the first place.
I am not saying anyone in the old guard is "guilty". But why is Sudhir so keen to let them get off the hook and at best only suggestively mumble that maybe certain constructions may not have been the best application of funds. Is it really just that?
Sure Sudhir is an ex-student and came in very well briefed. And since he really wants to engage with students, isn't it patronizing on his part to assume we "know" nothing. Or is he hinting that we should know and accept "how things really happen" and how feel-good things are what they are: myths.
NUJS students got this done https://www.legallyindia.com/lawschools/nujs-students-win-access-to-1-8gb-of-long-hidden-admin-meeting-minutes-from-madhava-menon-times-to-date-nearly-20190218-9895
RGNUL students are keeping their eyes on the ball https://barandbench.com/rgnul-protests-ao-sp-singh-resgination-rti/ and https://barandbench.com/rgnul-uploads-minutes-ec-gc-meetings-rti-battle/
Given our experience with an opaque EC in recent times, shouldn't we have done something to get access to all such records? Why hasn't Sudhir made all such records available online suo moto? Has he even discussed the idea?
Hamara Paisa, Hamara Hisab (acknowledging of the amazing women of Rajasthan fighting against corruption)
No increase in fees till a special audit is done to tell us how funds got expended to cause multi-crore deficits and were allowed by our venerable EC members.
https://sas.piedmontu.edu/faculty-staff/gopalan-dr-sandeep