NUJS Kolkata students staged a campus demonstration yesterday (26 November) to lend voice to national law university (NLU) students’ common demand that NLUs should be given Institute of National Importance (INI) status.
The National Law Universities Students Consortium, India, which is a group of NLU student councils, released a statement yesterday with the demand:
We, the students of all the NLUs, renew and reaffirm our call for reforms in legal education in India by urging the Union Government to take cognizance of the abysmal state of affairs and bring parity in the administration of NLUs, to make them at par with other national institutes.
Being comparable to IITs, NITs, IIITs and IIMs (added earlier this year) in every respect, granting NLUs the status of ‘Institutes of National Importance’ (INI) must also be considered specially to tackle the perpetual lack of funds and issues faced by students.
Law day protest
At NUJS in the wake of the NUJS Act amendment bill passed in the state assembly last week which has been staunchly condemned by students, they were out on the grounds yesterday chanting the slogan “nationalise NLUs”, according to video footage we have seen.
Several other NLUs, such as Nalsar Hyderabad and NLSIU Bangalore were closed for the semester break, but supported the initiative.
The Nalsar Student body (SBC) told us yesterday:
Nalsar is on semester break so we couldn’t organise any physical demonstration. However, we firmly stand in solidarity with the students of NUJS against State Government’s attack on the institutional autonomy. This joint statement is historic as it is the first time that students from ALL the NLUs have come together to make a collective demand for Nationalisation. We have established an NLUs Students Consortium with the aim of pushing for reforms in the field of legal education in India. The Consortium will serve as a common platform for voicing the concerns of law students across National Law Universities.
An NLSIU student council representative told us yesterday that while on semester break the students had internally circulated the statement of the NLU students consortium for comment.
The HNLU Raipur student council said yesterday: “Most of the NLUs have their semester break going on now. So we are not able to do anything as of now. But we are planning to send petitions and letters across legal and political fraternity.”
NationaliseNLUs who now?
The origin of the #nationaliseNLUs campaign is not entirely clear. Images announcing the hashtag and initiative had surfaced in comments on Legally India over the past several months but despite looking hard, we have not been able to trace whoever had first come up with it.
NUJS and other student councils are understood to have been inspired by the idea and ran with it.
If you happen to know who first came up with the hashtag, please do get in touch or share in the comments.
Why INI?
According to the consortium’s statement the lack of funds provided by the government to the NLUs coupled with increasing state government interference in the administration of the NLUs had resulted in a situation where NLUs today were “inefficiently administrated educational institutions that failed the cause of legal excellence in India”.
The INI status would bring NLUs under the control of the central government and open the gates for treatment at par with the IITs and IIMs.
NLUs’ common demand for INI status had first surfaced in November 2017 when NLSIU, Nalsar and NUJS student bodies released a joint statement in support of the demand.
But even before that join statement then DSNLU Vizag final year student Debadutta Bose had drafted a bill to provide for INI status to NLUs, which was later introduced in the Lok Sabha. It is currently pending.
HNLU Raipur SBC president Snehal Ranjan Shukla commented: “It is saddening that even after 10 years of CLAT and establishment of 21 NLUs, the authorities have not acted in the direction of achieving the goal for which NLUs were conceptualized.
“More than 10 NLUs have sat in protest in the past 2 years and what we have seen is the same problem persists everywhere. We believe that bringing an uniformity within the universities will help all the university grow in terms of knowledge, experience, exposure and administration. We believe that the word ‘NATIONAL’ should have some meaning attached to it.
“There is a bill pending before the parliament it should be discussed with all the stake holders to bring certain amendments and it should be passed as soon as possible,” Shukla added.
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Surely you mean 'administered.' Some rigour will take you far in life, however little you might think of this intervention.
Best for the movement.
Administrate is usually associated with managing. Administer on the other hand is associated with doing, for example, administer an injection.
It is even sadder for those of us who know effort in this direction was made early in Modi prime ministership. These efforts were initiated through Bimal Patel but were quickly shot down.
You can see the MHRD's attitude towards educational institutions (asking them to become self-sustaining) and see why this happened.
A concerted, inclusive (admins, faculty and students) and sustained almost revolutionary push is needed. However, I doubt that even this would be enough for NLUs given their small student numbers.
Although, they have bigger problems to deal with - SH.
Or Thx bi could be a one-off protester, we wouldn't know (@Thx bi: No offense).
The fact is a lot depends on the attitude of the HC towards NLU, there is no doubt that Delhi HC is one of the better High Courts in the country and that helps.
I think the best solution is to get an SC order temporarily staying all further reservations at NLUs pending the report of a high-level committee exploring Nationalisation. This committee can be a joint effort between the judiciary and legislature.
Thanks.
IN BJP:
- Arun Jaitley: he makes announcements abut IITs and IIMs in the budget, and is currently seeking suggestions for the 2019 budget
- Vikramjeet Banerjee, Member of BJP Legal Cell; NLSIU alum and ex-NUJS professor
IN CONGRESS
- All India Professionals Congress (headed by Shashi Tharoor)
- Legal Cell (headed by Senior Advocate Vivek Tankha, who had mediated during the NLIU protests)
- National Students Union of India
If the government ignores these developments and forces the quota, then the protests that you are suggesting should happen.
Smart money would say not. Happy to be proved wrong.
Has the SJA consortium written to Vikramjit Banerjee? His name was put across as a realistic access point to the ruling establishment 12 hours ago.
@Kian - reach out to the Twitter warriors and seek answers to these questions like you would do to a NLU admin when their credibility and efficiency is in question. I think both of these groups are cut-out of the same cloth; promise much and deliver little.
Popcorn's out.
economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/education/phd-holders-from-top-foreign-varsities-eligible-for-direct-recruitment-as-assistant-professor-ugc/articleshow/66847649.cms
In this period, I think there has not been even one application to join by a PhD holder from a top 500 university.
Some people have come in with a LLM degree from a top 500 institutions, while others have left to read for a second LLM at these institutions. Also, I don't think any LLMs from a top 500 institution were rejected in this period. The last one to be rejected in this category would be Anup Surendranath in 2009 or 2010. He was snapped up by NLU-D in any case.
The problem was that there were not many people who had cleared the NET or had a Ph.D and wanted to teach at the law schools. To make things worse, even the NLUs started adopting the API score based system of evaluation for hiring people - this is a pathetic system which places emphasis on quantity over quality (i.e. someone who has shitty publications in some random journal can gather more points that someone with a publication even in Harvard Law Review). What needs to go is the UGC approach to hiring people.
Of course, the SJA anticipated this and released a statement (reported by LI) but we all know that the SJA is not then seriously.
1. Was allegedly probed for misconduct along with NKC (according to the Telegraph): www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/private-tuition-slap-for-two-university-teachers/cid/1119477
2. Currently principal of a small private law college in Kolkata (Heritage Law College):
www.apnnews.com/concord-2018-heritage-law-college-induction-and-orientation-programme-for-the-new-batch-of-students-commenced-today/
www.hlc.edu.in/Faculty.aspx
3. Was found to have acted in contempt of court by the Calcutta High Court regarding admissions. The then Chief Justice had observed: "The appellant ought to consider himself lucky that in addition to cost, fine or other penalty was not impose on him by the learned Single Judge by way of punishment."
indiankanoon.org/doc/160319901/
DISCLAIMER: I cannot comment on the veracity of third party links.
www.nujs.edu/careers/nujs-vice-chancellor-oct18.pdf
mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/IGNTU.pdf
ignou.ac.in/userfiles/Application%20format%20of%20Vice-Chancellor%201%20(1).pdf
nirfcdn.azureedge.net/2018/framework/Law.pdf
www.nirfindia.org/Home
1) Who else applied?
2) Why was his research record/publications, admin experience and overall standing considered superior?
3) Was the article in the Telegraph with certain adverse information considered?
To follow up on point 2, I did some research and found the following:
1) On JSTOR (which stores foreign journals + Indian journals like EPW and JILI) I could not find any results for S S Chatterjee, except a science researcher by the same name.
2) On Hein Online (which stores all top foreign journals, as well as leading journals of NLUs), I found many articles authored by people with the surname Chatterjee, but none by SS Chatterjee.
3) Similar, I searched Westlaw and could not find anything.
4) Finally, Google Books and Google Scholar also draws a blank.
If my search was incorrect and someone can correct me, then I apologise in advance.
www.google.com/.../
epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31812&articlexml=ROW-OVER-BOARD-CHAIRMAN-HC-puts-PSC-hiring-01072017007036
CNLU: Students successfully got PIB's appointment reversed through protests
www.legallyindia.com/lawschools/nujs-vc-ishwara-bhat-causes-campus-lockdown-at-cnlu-even-before-taking-seat-as-its-vc-00011130-9173
NUJS: Will the students have the same resolve?
At the meeting, not only will the domicile quota Act be implemented, but a resolution will be passed to open a new branch of NUJS in Asansol (the constituency of the law minister). For the remainder of the month, a plan will be made to fill in faculty and staff vacancies with TMC people. An advertisement will be issued and selections completed by the end of January.
1. Should the advertisement have laid down better criteria? For example, the GNLU advertisement is also quite brief, but it still uses the following terms: "published works of high quality", "highest levels of competence, integrity and morals", "letter of recommendations" needed.
2. Should the search committee have asked applicants to disclose past misconduct and litigation faced?
3.Should the search committee have asked for a list of publications and assessed weightage according to the repute of the publication?
4. Should the search committee have interviewed all candidates?
5. Should the search committee have considered the SJA submission?
6. All advertisements ask for a soft copy and hard copy. Why were only hard copies asked for by post? For example, this makes it difficult to annex all your journal publications.
7. Lastly, was the manner in which the search committee constituted unlawful, as there was no academician in the list and a TMC man was removed after student intervention?
If the Education Minister and CM have these histories, any surprise why SS Chatterjee is the pick?
www.telegraphindia.com/india/dr-same-same-chatterjee/cid/1489382 (scroll down for a gem on CM)
Why Rather Particular or anyone Sensible can be complacent about plagiarism?
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Copy-paste-barb-at-Dr-Parthas-thesis/articleshow/51818007.cms
Diversity, that too sexual, what's that? Coming up culture police on campus.
www.thequint.com/news/india/kolkata-education-minister-partha-chatterjee-against-lesbianism-in-school
Previous attempts to draft in regime friendly folks in the GC, EC and AC -
www.indiatvnews.com/politics/national/mamata-astrologer-to-law-university-s-general-council-7533.html
www.legallyindia.com/lawschools/artist-suvaprasanna-rejects-nujs-acad-a-exec-council-posts-after-row-in-legal-circles-20120925-3134
archive.indianexpress.com/news/suvaprasanna-rejects-nujs-post-offered-by-govt/1007481/0
And the new round of apparatchiks begins with -
www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/kargil-war-veteran-2-others-join-trinamool-congress-277419
Not to forget our dear Lord Taluk, apparatchik-in-chief. Seriously believe that he or Registrar "did not know" about the Amendments? We believe him. What does he intend to do beyond the obvious?
www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/bengal-govt-employees-have-right-to-da-hc/cid/1664941
The government does not have money but will litigate for years. As does NUJS by bleeding students dry. IOUs being settled at our expense?
www.ndtv.com/india-news/calcutta-high-court-declares-dearness-allowance-a-legal-right-1909503
Have a spine? Look elsewhere
economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/i-resigned-to-keep-my-spine-firm-says-bengals-former-advocate-general/articleshow/57213834.cms
www.telegraphindia.com/india/law-officer-quits-police-officer-shifted-mitra-leaves-amid-talk-of-sniping/cid/332502
"Cooked up" charges against Stars of Bengal - SS Chatterjee and NKC
www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/private-tuition-slap-for-two-university-teachers/cid/1119477
epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31812&articlexml=ROW-OVER-BOARD-CHAIRMAN-HC-puts-PSC-hiring-01072017007036
Of course they want to occupy NUJS and peddle student admissions, faculty and staff recruitments, construction tenders et al. Do we let them? CNLU, NLIU and HNLU students stood firm. Why aren't we having our own #OccupyNUJS?
The official announcement regarding SSC will be made this week and he will start next week, so there is very little time.
1. NALSAR (against Veer Singh)
2. HNLU (against Sukhpal)
3. NLIU (against SSS)
4. NLU Ranchi (against Nirmal)
5. NUJS (against Bhat)
6. CNLU (against Lakshminath)
7.NLU Guwahati (against VKS)
Assuming that they did not know about the Bill, what have they done about it? Have they convened a faculty meeting or a joint meeting with the students to discuss this sudden move by the Govt. This means that at the very least they support the amendment. That makes sense. I have heard strong rumours concerning the nativist and sexist thinking and views of both the VC and Registrar and Justice League as well.
Lord Taluk and Registrar need to be ousted. I am sure they consider themselves invincible having bested SJA and students thus far. Whether the amendment is reversed, put on hold but nothing good can happen to this university while these two political collaborators continue in their present stations. We need to expose how Lord Taluk and his team have methodically destroyed our university. We have become a joke.
#OmitTalukdar #SikhaSentPacking
We all know that the VC selection is a farce. So why should things be different for Registrar, AO and FO positions? We are likely to see this Registrar continue and regime supporters becoming AO and FO. Please note that the VC and Registrar play key roles in the selection of AO, FO and other admin positions.
So even if by some miracle Lord Taluk were to actually leave (are we sure he will not be retained through Chair position or something else? I mean he has been so useful to this Govt as SAT chairperson; then as VC; surely elsewhere as well) and due to student intervention we get MKS or some "outsider" the triad of Registrar, AO and FO will ensure that person runs away or breaks bread with them.
This means that at a minimum we need make these two apparatchiks leave. They along with select faculty have ensured that no good soul ever applies here for VC. Faculty recruitments in future will also be a farce if this set up continues.
@Guest not sure what methodology you used for the ranking but I agree NALSAR got the best deal after protesting against VS. They got FM and I am sure it is not all rosy but NALSAR is doing great under FM.
At NLIU, the students were almost done in. If they didn't have the RMLNLU data sheet I doubt they could have done much. The state couldn't have pressed on after that exposure. It is still early days for VK.
HNLU should be commended for standing firm despite the SC order and active state support for Dukhpal. But the jury is still out on whether their interim VC will do a Lord Taluk and what will the HC do then? After dispatching Dukhpal what else has been happening?
I would rate NUJS, HNLU and CNLU in the same bracket because they all have former HC judges who have been installed by the state as interim VCs and none have shown (early days for HNLU) any serious intent to clean up and have a fair, transparent VC selection.
NLU Assam got a new VC but nothing much thereafter. And NLU Ranchi should be at the bottom because while the students ousted BC Nirmal they have been suffering a Judicial Officer (not retired HC judge) for the longest period; students faced police action and threats of charges et al.
NLU Ranchi is a cautionary tale for all NLUs but especially NUJS. You missed RMLNLU
CJI Gogoi put it right - the Calcutta High Court is in deep slumber. This court over the last few hours has seen either local ACJs being made CJs because they would retire soon or judges from other states being allowed to retire as ACJs.
All the local ACJs who became CJs are regime friendly judges. The first became SHRC Chairperson (is also on NUJS GC) on retirement. SHRC Chair is a sensitive position and remained vacant even since Justice Ashok Ganguly had to resign due to SH charges. The more recently retired CJ is a known regime suck up. Even tried to get his brother elevated to Calcutta HC. And the latest (also on our EC and VC search committee) has begun to realise the benefits of grass being Greener on the other side.
The CJI anguish also tells a great deal about other gems - two judicial officers (both recently elevated to the Calcutta HC)- one in the EC and the other who was till recently yet another Registrar (Acting) at NUJS. If they are such sloths and yet get elevated to the Bench, can we not assume political favours being traded?
I support #OccupyNUJS #OmitTalukdar #SikhaSentPacking. Down with #(In)JusticeTalukdar
1. The students can officially confirm all the applicants.
2. Then, write to the Chancellor, EC and GC explaining who has the best CV and why.
3. Then, this submission gets "leaked" to LI and Bar & Bench.
4. Then, the mainstream newspapers pick up the story.
If a sham VC is still appointed, these developments will make it easier to argue that the process was arbitrary and the submission of the students should have been considered.
And if the students are completely ignored and a lockout like NLIU/HNLU happens, the following could be requested by the students to mediate:
1. Madhava Menon, MP Singh. Mohan Gopal.
2. Serving judges: Justice Dipankar Datta (known critic of government), Justice Joymalya Bagchi (convicted SSC of contempt), Justice PP Banerjee (already ruled against NUJS and is aware of state of affairs), and any other HC judge who is not a judicial service promotee or approaching retirement soon.
3. Two immediate former AGs, who are very respected senior lawyers and not biased like the present guy (Anindya Mitra and Jayanta Mitra, the latter is also charing the HC Bar Library Club and is familiar with issues at NUJS).
4. Justice Ruma Pal
5. A leading SC/HC lawyer. Someone like Vikramjit Banerji (who was once an assistant professor at NUJS) would be ideal. Other top lawyers from Bengal are Madhavi Diwan, Gourab Banerji, Debal Banerji, SN Mookherjee and Sudipto Sircar.
6. The newly appointed Director of IIM Cal (who is an ex officio member anyway). As she has a tenured positioning the US, she does not need to appease anyone in India (certainly not the Trinamul Congress).
www.iimcal.ac.in/director’s-message
economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/west-bengal-government-denies-permission-to-amit-shahs-rath-yatra/articleshow/66968947.cms
www.ndtv.com/india-news/bjp-denied-permission-for-amit-shahs-rath-yatra-by-calcutta-high-court-1958802
The academic output of these institutions are quire poor and mostly below average (i agree that some of them, like NLUD is doing a better job).
Institutes of eminence is a tag meant for universities proper - with multiple departments and a significant amount of research output. The NLUs perform poorly on both of these metrics. There is also a problem of lack of diversification in academic pursuits. There is only law and more law. There are some social science teachers - but no capable social scientist prefers to work at an NLU (they prefer to work at places where their discipline gets more focus and respect. A consequence is that some poor quality or second grade persons are available at NLUs for social sciences. This then impacts any possibility of meaningful research or academic contributions that they can give.
Yes, NLU Graduates are good and they do well professionally - but that does not make it deserve an Institute of Eminence Tag. There has to be much more of serious research output for that to happen. Please note that the IITS or DU are not getting the IOE because they have placements - its primarily because of tier research output. the idea of developing IOE framework was to promote some Universities and help them break into global rankings. Single department universities like the NLUs wont make it to those lists and hence there is no point in spending IOE money on them.
I see no point in arguing for an IOE tag for NLUs. let us be more reasonable and press for some special package or some special assistance. that makes more sense.
www.hindustantimes.com/education/expert-panel-recommends-12-institutions-for-eminence-status/story-vfO5TfTNmCg3ckdLuW0mRO.html
beallslist.weebly.com
rfppl.co.in/view_editorial_details.php?id=1719
An illustrative list of Taimur's lame excuses -
1. He is not here by choice (but chooses to stay on and destroy NUJS)
2. He can resign and leave anytime (but hasn't because his assigned mission is yet to be completed. Dec 22 is the D-day).
3. He is saving us tons of money (pray how? - not taking remuneration?)
4. He is an old man sent here to make NUJS (a) great (joke)
5. He didn't know about NUJS amendment Bill (killer deadpan lie)
We just know from hearsay that the following have applied:
1 .SSC (govt first choice favourite)
2. NKC (govt second choice favourite)
3. 3 from North Bengal (govt dark horse favourites)
4. MKS (best CV of the lot, but govt will oppose)
If this was Jadavpur University they would just lock up the VC in his office until the info was shared.
Forget SJA. Will the GB actually stay back till Dec 22 and enforce #OccupyNUJS? Everyone wants freedom, autonomy et al. But how many of us are willing to pay the price? Why haven't we publicly called out the SJA faculty advisors? What have they done to help us?
www.change.org/p/chief-justice-of-india-to-seek-urgent-intervention-against
The SJA chose not to submit the petition in the end (BIG MISTAKE) but at least they took the initiative of reaching out to alumni. I can't understand why the present SJA is not even bothering to contact alumni and ask them to sign a petition. It will be too late by the time the EC approves the domicile quota and puppet VC.
But what have we done? How many came for the recent GB? Sure the SJA leadership is insipid. Maybe they should have done a vigorous door-to-door campaign; chai (or some other substance) pey charchas; mohalla sabha inspired stuff...but clearly they didn't. But if they are keyboard warriors what are we - talking heads on LI? Armchair pundits?
Did we spontaneously do any black-band, yellow vest et al stuff in the class after exams? Did we call out our dear faculty for their covert collaboration with state agents, including the VC? Do we really need SJA authorisation to do any of this?
@ Guest 56.1.1.1 If the SJA were to request us to stay back; return from internships; cancel vacations plans and stay put till we make ourselves heard by the powers that be...how many of us will be willing to do that? I know at least two people who wouldn't - you and I
That SJA has been checkmated has been obvious for many months now. What's the use of flogging a dead horse? Wearing black-bands, doing silent protests and vigils et al do not require SJA authorisation. I may not have all the details but apparently the HNLU protests snowballed after certain female students protested against inaction on SH issues. Where is the spontaneity here? We have had so many triggers but nothing got us to do anything.
If this SJA has been failing why have we not removed them or imposed our demands and ensure that they follow through? And if they are not doing anything useful now, why did we not give them hell in the GB? Better still why not do our thing with or without SJA?
Faculty here are permanent. And even then they do not have spine. The so-called lack of formal association doesn't inhibit them from forming one (more likely to be used for self-serving purposes at the expense of students) or doing the right thing. Did we not see how quickly some started posturing differently the moment they knew PIB had resigned. You will see them do all this again if we succeed this time as well.
Our collective cowardice (myself included) reminds me of the famous poem by Martin Niemoller en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came_...
Or alternatively in Potter lingo soon we will need to choose between what is right and what is easy. We know the choice that the faculty has made. Do we follow suit? Many among us have. Maybe it is safer and "intelligent" to have a herd mentality.
1. The distance and online education courses were run without UGC approval; in collaboration with private, profit making entities (doesn't matter if the partners were govt or non-profit)
2. The conniving Univ faculty/staff misled and kept the AC and EC in the dark
3. That the matter came to light when students in regular courses (read SJA) produced the evidence of wrongdoing and connivance before the AC and EC which directed the Univ to suspend such courses.
4. However for unknown reasons despite such directions in early May 2018, the Univ (through the AR Academic) uploaded a notice only towards end-June 2018. During this time, the Univ apparently kept collecting admission fees et al from new candidates.
5. Repeated calls and emails to the Univ authorities (VC, Registrar, AM and AR Academic) have had not yielded any response (typical Talukdar way of doing things)
6. Aggrieved distance education students demand that at a minimum NUJS should refund their money. But NUJS authorities remain tight-lipped
7. The former SJA President has been quoted as having said that the as and when the Univ refunds the money to distance education students, it should recover the same from guilty officials (this point was made in the SJA petitions as well)
8. The reporter had sought comments from Lord Taluk and Registrar. But they did not respond (as expected)
Unless you are one of those conniving fellows, I don't see the report being half-baked. But I agree the vernacular press should do more detailed stories on the mess at NUJS..the full monty perhaps?
1. Running a course without UGC approval isn't illegal, so long as the students of that course are aware of that fact. In this case, students were made to give an undertaking to such effect. NLSIU Bangalore had been running their MABL course without UGC approval for years.
2. Every action regarding the courses had been sanctioned by AC and EC. That's simply how things work at NUJS, which is why if the members of those bodies choose not to take a decision, nothing happens here. As has been seen over the past few months. If anyone is to be held culpable, then those members are equally so.
3. The students lack the basic concept of research. That's why their petitions have failed to distinguish between online courses and the other part time courses NUJS runs on its own. All the problems students had raised like faculty getting tied up teaching elsewhere or student help being taken to prepare sub standard material apply to the latter, not the online courses. Not a single student who have ever taken the online courses has raised any complaint about their quality. Of anything, their material is far superior to what NUJS students get from their faculty for most regular courses, since that material was prepared by people involved in the industry. The only issue could have been about the revenue share, but since NUJS contributed very little to the online courses apart from lending its brand, there's a limit to the share of the revenue it could claim anyway.
4, 5, 6, 8: Don't disagree with any of them. The problem is, Lord Takuk realised after starting the inquiry that none of the so-called evidence of wrongdoing that you refer to is evidence of an actionable wrong, so despite hating the Injustice League who mostly were in charge of these courses, he's been unable to take any action by way of inquiry.
7. That bigmouth kept making such nonsensical comments when he was in NUJS and has continued doing so even now. His claim shows his lack of knowledge about law and logic, which nobody who knew him as a student ought to find surprising. University has used the money taken from the courses for itself and stopped the courses and denied certificate to those students on behest of a faction of misled regular students. Why on earth should it 'recover' the money from elsewhere? It's not if the money from those courses have gone to the faculty, who get a minuscule fixed annual sum for coordinating a course regardless of revenue from it. Again, in the absence of any illegality, which happens to be case regardless of all the'evidence' you refer to, it's clear that the Taluk admin has made the knee jerk reaction of stopping all courses and certificates without any ground just to appease SJA and its demands lacking foundation. Now they are stuck with litigations and arbitrations and don't know where to go.
The report is half baked because the reporter hasn't bothered to find out any fact by talking to people who actually knows the issue instead of dikelola managing to talk to an ex-student several states away. The report also makes it seem as if regular students have filed the suits. Whereas the truth is regular students in the shape of SJA are more to blame for bringing unfounded allegations led by a faction of the faculty against another. Now NUJS keeps losing a crore in revenue because of that and facing litigation costs and resultant student fee hikes. You sow what you reap. The mess is very real, just that some people including faculty and students now want to distance themselves from it.
1. Prof NK Chakrabarti from KIIT (ex-CU)
2. Prof SS Chatterjee from Heritage Law College, Kolkata (ex-CU HOD)
3. Prof JK Das, HOD, CU Law department
4. Prof Bhrigu Nath Pandey, Dean, School of Law, Adamas University, Kolkata (ex-HOD, BHU)
5. Prof Rathin Bandopadhyay, HOD, North Bengal University Law department
6. Prof Gangotri Chakraborty, Professor, North Bengal University Law department
7. Prof Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari, Professor and HOD, Burdwan University Department of Law
8. Prof Ali Mehdi from BHU (ex-North Bengal)
9. Prof Sukhpal Singh Yadav (ex-HNLU VC)
10. Prof SS Singh (ex-NLIU VC)
11. Prof Madhu Sudan Dash, HOD, Utkal University Department of Law
12. Prof JS Patil, VC, NLU Assam
13. Prof K I Vibhute, ex-HOD, Pune University Law faculty
Hey Guest (in various avatars) are you the relevant faculty most affected by the stoppage of distance education courses? I wonder why you have not made yourself heard by the University authorities and also the EC...why not square off with Justice Arun Mishra there?
Or better still since you think that students, especially a rather particular former SJA President followed neither law or logic why not help the aggrieved students swarm the EC on Dec 22?
Do you know you plead a lot? Why not do something instead of being a keyboard warrior? You know the Kolkata-based students of distance education. Get them and the media to storm the campus and EC on Dec 22.
But will you?
1. Go to the Chancellor and claim process was arbitrary (like NLIU and RMNLU students did).
2. Go to the media: national papers and local papers + news channels + online media like the Wire
3. Reach out to Menon, Chimni and MP Singh for a statement of support.
4. Alumni petition.
5. Request NLSIU students for support.
6. Tie up with all NLUs and file a PIL on the NationaliseNLUs issue. Request a temporary stay on all quotas until the government and SC can clarify the status of NLUs vis-a-vis IIMs and IITs.
7. Declare flat out war against the AG and government. State in writing that the AG has engaged in unethical conduct.
Quote:www.duexpress.in/delhi-university-among-24-institutes-recommended-for-institute-of-eminence-tag/.
1. The 5th yrs are graduating soon and have secured job offers. The 4th yrs have a year to go. From a "batch perspective" they have little interest in what happens next to NUJS
2. Many 1st yrs may actually find it more meaningful to sit for CLAT again; AILET et al; lose a year and join somewhere better. NUJS is on a downward spiral and it is better to jump a sinking ship right now.
3. 2nd and 3rd years, especially the former are the ones who will face the brunt. They are stuck badly. A lot more was expected of them. But the low GB turnout meant that SJA was neither pummelled nor provided the ballast.
4. Since SJA is a keyboard warrior at the very least I am sure it emailed alumni. I guess after the first edition of #PIBOut failed, alumni interest faded. They probably realized something that we didn't or haven't thus far -
if the state govt wants someone to stay, s/he does. As it happened with PIB or in JU which keeps getting cited as a model for protest action. But for the political build up at the state-level, Dukhpal would have stayed on at HNLU. And we are not sure whether a Taluk is in the works there.
5. That few in the alumni care is evidenced by the fact that we had an alumni reunion on Dec 22. If reports are to be believed, none had any meaningful interest in university affairs. More importantly, they had prior information and opportunity to do whatever little they could (or would) before the EC. But that didn't happen. So let's just dial down on what the alumni can or will do.
6. A lot is being said about approaching the Chancellor. Chances are that he was not consulted by the state while legislating the Amendment. And he is seemingly fine with that. Or maybe he was consulted privately and his tacit silence meant that state was free to legislate.
Let's do this ourselves or have the SJA file RTI queries to the Chancellor whether he was formally consulted by the state govt et al? Also has the SJA approached his office and if yes, what has he done about it?
I mean no disrespect to the Chancellor but maybe as with the alumni, just doesn't care.
7. Do we even know what was on the EC agenda on Dec 22? Very likely that the Amendment issue was not even mentioned for discussion and the CJI nominee did not even bring it up. If we can have a confirmation on this can we pipe down on the Chancellor or his nominee in the EC/GC intervening to save us?
8. I strongly suspect that Taluk will be bestowed the honour by the state to stay on till the Convocation. I also believe than an attempt will be made to get the CM and the top political brass of the state in that Convocation.
Having graduated, the 2017 Batch may not care anymore why they had participated in whatever little capacity to dislodge PIB in 2016 and later in 2018. But what about us? Suppose the SJA proposes that the current the batches will boycott or hold eyeball catching protests during the Convocations, will they get unanimous or majority support?
F**k SJA, now that I have floated the balloon, will we do this with or without the SJA?
9. Lord Taluk and Justice League will play good cop, bad cop with us. This strategy has had a good kill rate (may explain the low turnout in the GB). With a strong feedback and tracking system in place via a set of student collaborators, I expect a more vigorous roll out. As they say we are only as strong as our weakest link.
10. The state doesn't want "outsiders". It actually wants people to leave NUJS. I cannot be the only looney conspiracy theorist when I see how faculty and research positions are being hollowed out; quality candidates from "outside" being clearly signalled not to apply for VC, Registrar et al positions; and how decks are being cleared to pack in regime friendly folks.
NUJS is not alone in accommodating 'committed' apparatchiks. Look at HC. And for more on independence of judiciary, we have examples in Taluk; a limitless Ray of political crudeness; someone who should have spread light (but did the reverse in Court and at NUJS) and another who is truly blessed by the (political) Gods for having successfully transitioned to Greener pastures.
The stark reality is this- we have a hostile EC with an agenda of its own; self-serving and parasitic faculty/admin staff; mostly disinterested and risk-averse alumni (on issues that currently affect the university); and salivating, opportunistic academic administrators.
In Jan 2019 we have to choose between what is right and what is easy. I have chosen easy for obvious reasons. But will you choose differently?
You shouldn't worry Since Popat comes to cheer and please his distressed masters.
Don't you think everyone needs some attention?
1. Up until 4 or 5 years ago, alumni were very interested in college affairs. Take a look at the petition against PIB (which the SJA did not submit). Alumni across the world, cutting across batches and branch of practice, signed it. Alumni also lectured regularly and helped with internships.
2. For the past few years, interest has waned for a number of reasons:
i) As PIB grew more and more power-hungry, he kept alumni out.
ii) PIB's cronies prevented alumni from lecturing on the ground that they lacked an LLM or PhD. This was even though one-off lectures on practical topics were sought. Furthermore, some of the people actually held these degrees and even held teaching positions abroad. Also, a proposal for short courses had come from JGLS but it was stipulated that JGLS profs could not distribute brochures for JGLS LLM programmes, which they did not agree to because other NLUs did not stipulate this. They had offered to teach without any compensation and felt that they should be allowed to distribute the brochures.
iii) Meanwhile, PIB's cronies lied and told the alumni that the STUDENTS had opposed alumni teaching. That students had said that the alumni were not qualified and did not want them to give guest lectures. The cronies also spread rumours that the students are arrogant etc. A vicious lie was spread that a student had made a lewd remark to a female alumni guest lecturer. This was NOT TRUE and the lady herself can confirm it. It was just a regular case of a student sleeping in class and getting scolded for it. The alumni got upset at these fake rumours.
I am not defending the alumni. Please go ahead and accuse them of lack of interest, selfishness etc. But just bear in mind the full facts and decide about whether you wish to involve them as once used to be the case, or whether you would prefer to keep them out. Thanks.
Then why will college administration and Executive Council will take your petition and agendas seriously.
Quote:indiankanoon.org/doc/160319901/
Also I am sorry if alumni felt offended by my comments. Not intended. It is entirely possible that many are working behind the scenes. In my comments I wanted to highlight that there has not been any overt act of intervention or resistance by alumni. For example, Batch 2017 which is going to have its Convocation in Feb 2019; a majority or a significant number could have very well declined to receive their degrees with Talukdar as VC. They still can or can even do so publicly on the stage itself. Then again, my own batch wouldn't nor will I engage in a creative act of protest.
You may fault me for being a keyboard warrior because I don't have the guts to come out. I am conflicted. I am a coward. But I will engage in weak forms of resistance hoping that soon enough the psychological barrier will be breached.
I don't know what SJA will do or others who are bolder. I will pray that their efforts against Lord Taluk succeed. Possibly a little dramatic to tag this quote to those who are putting up an overt resistance but I was very much taken in by it (and the movie Valkyrie - highly recommended)
"You did not bear the shame
You resisted
Sacrificing your life
For freedom, justice and honour"
- German Resistance Memorial, Berlin
The faculty and their chosen pets whether bound by blood or other considerations can come up with a zillion reasons (aka excuses) why the faculty cannot protest but I will not deny credit that is due to SJA Prez and Veep as also a ex-Prez for overtly doing what the faculty and alumni have collectively avoided with deadly deliberateness.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/govt-to-allow-students-switch-universities-under-cbcs/articleshow/67231761.cms
www.dnaindia.com/india/report-kolkata-cbi-summons-st-xavier-s-principal-felix-raj-in-connection-with-rose-valley-chit-fund-scam-2289583
www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/will-return-rose-valley-group-s-sponsorship-money-kolkata-college-117051100940_1.html
www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/learn-from-st-xaviers-cm-tells-ju-332914
1. JU has a long history of having highly radicalised/politicised student politics. I am not suggesting that it is bad or good. It has been a two-way process whereby a certain institutional equilibrium has been achieved wherein highly politicised student politics co-exists with the rest of the set up. That equilibrium is sought to be reset in favour of the ruling party.
2. It is not just the students, many in the faculty are also overtly political. That's another area of reset that the ruling party wishes to effect.
3. JU has a long history of run-ins with police (including violent ones); aggressive posturing; hunger strikes; civil disobedience etc. In that sense the institution, faculty and students are battle hardened and have the capacity to sustain a long play of brinkmanship
4. In the most recent edition, once the students began hunger strike, a significant section of the faculty openly joined the student protests. That's when things really turned in favour of the students.
5. Also please note the sympathetic, continuous and consistent media coverage that JU students got in the local media- print and electronic.That could also be a function of several JU alumni working the the press. Essentially protesting JU students did a great media outreach and extensively pulled in contacts across departments and batches.
As such don't expect any support from them - even if they do support you, probably that will work against you.
www.ndtv.com/education/iim-calcutta-first-woman-director-takes-charge-at-iim-calcutta-1948691
To return back to JU, here is some more stuff to chew on -
www.hindustantimes.com/education/expert-panel-recommends-12-institutions-for-eminence-status/story-vfO5TfTNmCg3ckdLuW0mRO.html
[NB: Even KIIT has been recommended for IoE status!! Also note that sectoral excellence is also being recognised. Pretty sure NLSIU, NALSAR and maybe even NLUD will make it eventually]
www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/jadavpur-university-prestige-swells-with-grant/cid/1675923
www.ndtv.com/education/jadvapur-university-only-state-varsity-in-east-to-have-got-full-autonomy-vice-chancellor-1826975
[Despite the VC being a state govt puppet and the fights, JU secured category I autonomy from UGC and also the the prestigious grant. Compare this with PIB and Taluk administrations and it underlines the worthlessness of FAULTY)
www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/eye-on-eminence-tag-as-ju-shield/cid/1420689
[The controversial "legal counsel" was tailor made under state education minister instructions by none other than our AG - the legal eagle beyond compare. Prefers seeing and suing people in Court]
indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/jadavpur-university-teachers-slam-govt-plan-to-gag-them-5141859/
[In JU, faculty are actually paid salaries by the state govt at state pay scales. In NUJS, the FAULTY are paid generous central scales from our fees. I wonder whether it is lack of spine or Gollum syndrome. Rather particular and Sensible folks have told me and others that the entire point of making FAULTY and the admin staff "permanent" was to empower them to work without fear or favour. But all I see are leeches]
IIMs (the initial trio) were set up by the Govt of India in close collaboration with American business schools, state governments and private sector. IIM Calcutta actually got angel funded by the Ford Foundation. To ensure autonomy and flexibility they were registered under Societies Registration Act. so things have always worked differently in IIMs, which is actually now under threat despite the IIM Act 2017 touting increased autonomy. One big reason, the older IIMs often win against the Govt is due to their brand, alumni and industry support. You will see the difference when it comes to the newer lot that mushroomed in recent years.
I seriously doubt that SJA or its supporters have ever advocated for a pedantic compliance with UGC Rules. Having read through their submissions (will admit, quite a few) and heard them in GB and elsewhere, the SJA has only demanded transparency concerning rules and application.
For example, NUJS has clearly violated UGC rules on distance education. We are not IIT/IIM, whose establishment rules always allowed them to operate differently. More importantly, IIMs and other reputable institutions running distance education courses make it clear that they have no UGC approval and actually pay GST. NUJS hasn't done that.
On the issue of faculty recruitments. Quite a few UGC rules don't make sense. Despite the hoopla on NET, I don't understand how acquiring that or having LLM/PhD makes one a good teacher. I am sure it troubles others too because the URC made a specific point concerning these issues.
I believe that SJA has simply highlighted that PIB and his buddies have selectively applied UGC rules to favour/disfavour certain people. SJA has not advocated blind adherence to UGC. Actually they have suggested that if NUJS and students were to profit by diverging from a nonsensical UGC rule then univ authorities should take that up with UGC but also write down a policy that transparently sets down why and how departures from UGC rules will be made.
Are you suggesting that SJA should not have reported against arbitrariness, corruption and favouritism which have actually caused financial and academic losses?
wbhed.gov.in/readwrite/uploads/wbuniversitiesadministrationandregulationact2017.pdf
www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/new-hiring-norm-for-varsities/cid/1415094
www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/speech-fetters-in-draft-rules/cid/1415000
wbhed.gov.in/readwrite/uploads/wbuniversitiesadministrationandregulationact2017.pdf
www.facebook.com/pg/heritagelawconfession/
I just want to underline that there are limits to what SJA can do. The EC gladly allowed SJA space because it wanted PIB gone. Now the EC wants Lord Taluk to stay and an equally wretched or worse replacement will follow (unless we do something). I don't know what happened in the EC on Dec 22 but time is running out.
Taking out SSC and then getting saddled with an XYZ is like walking in circles. Instead we should do something that make the state back off and let us be. The state needs people inside the University to drive its agenda. Right now it has Lord Taluk, the Registrar and the parasitic FAULTY.
As suggested by someone, we #OmitTalukdar, #SikhaSentPacking and #OccupyNUJS. The FAULTY as usual will wait out and at the opportune time some will wave V, give meaningless pep talk, hug us and other BS.
1.If Lord Taluk,who was supposed to clean up the mess PIB has created, if he is hand in gloves with State Government, should we consider him as god? Face and smile are deceptive.
2.If SJA has did nothing to convince even a single person to apply for VC Position. What should you expect from us, we should applaud them or we should point out that they are the most inefficient.
3. If they were unsuccessful in stopping the Domicile Quota in NUJS, should we worship them for this marvelous achievement? You should know how Jadavpur University stopped the interference of WB Govt in their daily affairs.
NUJS which was considered as the Student Run University has turned in to the State Government Run University.
This is bitter truth.
I hope that both Lord Taluk and SJA will enjoy happy retirement life after State Government Nominee take over the charge of Vice Chancellor.
1st choice is Poddar Sir.
+VE Factor
He is Bangali
He has practical empathy for plagiarism since he also did it
He has many faces so if you dont like the one on a day he show you another one
He has liberal attitude in class by playing audio tape of his own recorded lecture
-VE Factor
[...]
2nd choice
Tillotama maam
+VE Factor
She has liberal attitude to class by not taking anyy (Grukool system)
She has track record of special collaboration with students [...]
She [...] that her exams are very easy
She is Bangali
-VE Factor
[...]
heavy [...] in her thesis (like 55%, 2% more than Poddar sir)
3rd choice
Anupama Mam
+VE Factor
She is close to Trinamul
She does not believe in taking class
She is Bangali
-VE Factor
[...]
She knows more law than political science
www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/jadavpur-university-shelves-domicile-quota-plan/cid/1680074
Interestingly, the SJA stated in its "position paper" that "very soon NUJS will turn into another Jadavpur University." Well guess what you morons, JU is much better than NUJS because it has rejected domicile quota and is likely to get Eminence status (it was in the first list, along with IIT KGP, IIT M, DU and Anna University). To add insult to injury, JGLS may end up getting Eminence status in the second list, as no NLU has applied for it.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/nujs-students-prepare-report-against-domicile-quota-decision/articleshow/66744420.cms,
Here is what they did in 2014 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Jadavpur_University_protests
Also why can we not have this? www.ndtv.com/kolkata-news/anarchy-at-kolkatas-famous-presidency-university-over-hostel-protest-1915110
There is little to be gained by scoring points against the SJA. When the time comes to change the leadership, please do. Until then, can we have have some unity on throwing out Lord Taluk and the Registrar, the two principal agents of the state in NUJS? That will send out a strong message to the state govt folks to stop f*****g around, starting with the VC selection.
I hope the SJA will call a GB soon after the university reopens. We should also ensure that majority attend the GB; demand answers from SJA and be ready to participate in the agreed plan of action. Else we are no better than FAULTY.
Based on what has been written here and campus talk, this is how I see it -
1. This is primarily our fight. Alumni assistance is welcome. But let's get real about the actual level of support. Four oldies are in the faculty and two (or is it three?) have permanent tenure in the University. What have they done? And I have not even included the ones who did their LLMs/PhDs here. A batch had its reunion on Dec 22 and Batch 2017 is all set to receive their degrees from Lord Taluk.
2. Similarly lets dial down our expectations from Professors Menon, Chimni and MP Singh. None of them did anything during the ruinous tenure of PIB, why should they do anything now? And they haven't. No op-eds, nothing.
3. The CJI has little time for us. His nominee, Justice Arun Mishra seemingly has no issues with the Amendment Bill. Maybe both had been privately consulted by the state govt before the amendments were moved? Calcutta HC is unlikely to act against its own and the recent history inspires little confidence. A new ACJ has come in. Maybe one should check whether he is willing to act differently.
4. The state nominees in the EC will brazen this out because they can. And we have not been able to do anything meaningful thus far. It no longer matters what the SJA could have done. Let's concentrate on what can be done, realistically. And that begins with a honest and brutal assessment of what we are individually willing to stake in this fight.
5. This fight or lack of one will define us and NUJS forever. While it is important that we carefully structure and define our demands, more important than that will be our commitment to get those. Are we willing to go the distance?
6. We need to do things differently. Please note that this EC has seen what we did (or did not) during #PIBOut. So they are ready and counter intuitively would very much want us to agitate on those lines.
7. We have upset status quo. Strong push backs are expected. We need to stop playing or responding to the rules set by the powers that be. Petitions, appeals and protests have had their run. The authorities are ready. So we need to surprise them through creative modes of protest.
Why can we not have something like this? www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/visva-bharati-stops-staff-overpay/cid/1679775
We have only been concentrating on Lord Taluk and FAULTY. What about admin staff? We all know how the accounts and academic sections function. And let's not even start on the people working in the offices of Lord Taluk and the Registrar.
I agree that students are being myopic; as with the FAULTY many (if not most) are self-serving and that we have messed up. But you have got certain things wrong. PIB may have quietly lobbied for the CNLU position but once CNLU students protested he would have remained here. Please note that in 2016, powerful people brokered a deal whereby he was given a second term despite SJA. It was a situation similar to this when SJA had literally no support in the EC. What many (including) never understood then and even now is why the EC suddenly supported the SJA in kicking out PIB; simple because key members in the EC felt that they were scammed by PIB who had no intention or capacity to deliver on the political deal.
I am not advocating that we should mollycoddle the SJA. By all means, please pummell SJA in the GB that is assuming we will have a meaningful turnout. But as and when we demand action from SJA, we should ground it in facts and reality. We shouldn't lash out just because some of us may have personal issues with XYZ.
Some have suggested that we should use velvet gloves to manage the fragile egos of the delicate darlings called alumni. I am sure many in the alumni wouldn't want such a treatment but those are likely in the minority. I am not sure if the law firms are necessarily touchier about their reputations. JU students, especially the engineering folks have often been in the news for campus violence, hazing, bullying, sexual harassment and aggressive political posturing. And yet JU has never faced a dearth of campus placements. In contrast it has been debated that if the state interference and politicisation had been less, JU would have done even better.
I am sure most managements will have a preference for the docile, malleable, risk-averse, goody-two-shoes variety. And being one is definitely profitable. I mean Chatur was doing great yet many rooted for the 3 Idiots. Why are you so ready to crawl when you haven't been asked to even bend? Abdication of spine isn't always great - many FAULTY are a great example of that.
You may keep spewing platitudes on how we should debate in a civil and educated manner and blah blah. Just because you or Lord Taluk & Co. demands doesn't mean we have to oblige. Call us what you may but we will do everything that is necessary and doable to evict these squatters from our campus.
I strongly suspect that you are part of Lord Taluk & Co. because no student has actually seen what the Judicial Secy wrote on the DEO overpayments issue. Some may have heard piecemeal stuff. First, please show the written communications between the University, Judicial Secy and FC on this issue. Second, please show that Judicial Secy did not opine in his personal capacity. Thirdly, why don't we RTI on this issue? SJA, are you listening?
@Guest 115, you have only mentioned the usual suspects. These links may give you further leads on the other players.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/advocate-general-puts-in-papers/articleshow/57028211.cms
www.news18.com/news/india/west-bengal-ag-quits-saying-he-was-asked-to-bend-the-law-1346218.html
economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/i-resigned-to-keep-my-spine-firm-says-bengals-former-advocate-general/articleshow/57213834.cms
indianexpress.com/article/india/cant-work-if-team-breaks-down-a-g-addnl-a-g-submit-resignations-to-governor-keshari-nath-tripathi-4513035/
www.telegraphindia.com/india/law-officer-quits-police-officer-shifted-mitra-leaves-amid-talk-of-sniping/cid/332502
Oh well those guys got snuffed out. CM has Cersei on speed dial.
But this can be a likely situation in NUJS if the CM or a party honcho comes for the Convocation.
economictimes.indiatimes.com/.../67416484.cms?utm_source=Colombia&utm_medium=C1&utm_campaign=CTN_ET_hp&utm_content=18
Don't believe me?
www.telegraphindia.com/india/arrested-for-questioning-mamata/cid/389090
www.firstpost.com/politics/mamata-vs-the-farmer-be-afraid-very-afraid-416119.html
So do we go the JU or CU way?
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/cm-mamata-banerjee-criticizes-student-politics-at-jadavpur-university-presidency/articleshow/67433612.cms
www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/mamata-praise-for-old-values-calcutta-university-barbs-for-presidency-and-jadavpur-university/cid/1681162
www.indiatoday.in/magazine/nation/story/20160912-jadavpur-university-kolkata-mamata-banerjee-tmc-829505-2016-09-01
While NUJS students run scared, this is what JU did
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/30000-march-in-rain-to-seek-Jadavpur-VCs-scalp/articleshow/43033605.cms
And it made the nephew come to aid of aunty (timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/nandygram/abhishek-banerjee-comes-to-mamata-auntys-rescue-by-trying-to-discredit-ju-students-movement/)
And the usual set of dirty tricks
www.dailypioneer.com/2016/india/didis-men-divided-over-presidency-ju-culture.html
www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/jadavpur-vc-drug-remark-on-girl/cid/1581412
If not the CM then this enfant terrible as Chief Guest in the Convocation
www.hindustantimes.com/kolkata/the-rise-of-abhishek-banerjee-mamata-s-foul-mouthed-nephew/story-GW7OLwe2Nq8T9Vtj3jNSVP.html
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/body-to-adopt-colleges-varsities-keep-them-up-to-date/articleshow/67532302.cms
No wonder Taluk & Co are so keen to get CM or one of the party honchos as the Chief Guest. We are such wimps for continuing with Taluk.
But what do you do when the HC is compromised. Two recent CJs seem to have deliberately ignored Justice Chelameswar's caution concerning bonhomie between judiciary and government
barandbench.com/bonhomie-between-judiciary-and-government-sounds-the-death-knell-to-democracy-chelameswar-j-in-letter-to-cji/
Guess this is what happens when they found that grass is actually Greener on the other side.
And then we have so many party stooges and beneficiaries in our faculty ranks to help the government. But as they go about s******g students, will they survive this?
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/governments-attendance-lens-on-students-teachers/articleshow/67451285.cms
What do we upstart, entitled Noojies do? Taluk & Co are selling us and the university for a song and all we do is write petitions and issue hollow ultimatums.
Also I think we should stop expecting meaningful intervention from the HC and SC. I mean look at this story www.legallyindia.com/lawschools/gnlu-staff-complain-to-guj-hc-bimal-patel-misusing-power-to-continue-as-director-after-expiry-of-maximum-director-terms-20181210-9714
What has the Gujarat HC/CJ done?
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/panel-seeks-fir-against-nine-professors-and-staff-of-nliu/articleshow/67607759.cms
www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/national-law-institute-university-probe-panel-finds-mark-sheets-of-many-students-forged/story-9wnC4DtURyvWJc8vErPPwO.html
www.freepressjournal.in/bhopal/bhopal-over-200-students-dozen-faculty-members-staff-found-guilty/1437505
www.freepressjournal.in/bhopal/bhopal-nliu-gen-council-pardons-all-issues-notices-to-staffers/1440696
I don't know if the MP Education Minister was simply posturing timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/minister-wont-allow-another-vyapam-in-mp/articleshow/67606822.cms
Now that the Brigade circus is done will the WB Law and Education Minister care to do something meaningful about the political buffoonery in the EC and on our campus?
SJA and GB, grow a spine?
www.ndtv.com/kolkata-news/legal-action-likely-against-jadavpur-university-professor-over-remark-on-virginity-1979811
so rather than taking refuge in a clock of anonymity and calling the students spineless, how about checking whether you have a spine? and if you find that you do have one, come out in the open and do something more concrete. the GB will support you if you can convince us that you are making some real claims with some merit in it. the least that we would like to know is who is it that is making these claims.
Until then, do everyone a favour by just shutting up and not using this forum to malign the student body.
and what makes you think SJA is inactive? unless you mean to say that only some protest or strike is the only thing that you take to be 'action'. this not the AAP to start a protest and a strike on everything under the sun. all for what we know it is an interim one and a new VC is to join sooner or later. there are concerns around that process not being a transparent one. if the new appointment is a bad one we will deal with it then.
But if it's a list of harms you want, here goes:
1. Continuing dilution of academic standard by allowing grace marks, making failed students pass, allowing plagiarism issues to be overlooked, almost doing away with attendance requirement.
2. Not recruiting faculty to replace the 6-7 people who have left over the past year and a half.
3. Allowing multiple faculty to continue not taking regular classes.
4. Not attending any NLU consortium meetings or discussions and reducing the national relevance of NUJS.
5. Not attending or sending representatives to roundtables held by prominent recruiters despite being invited.
6. Not signing certificates of legitimate and completed courses, thus allowing external students to form extremely bad opinion of NUJS. I'm not talking about online courses here.
7. Continuing useless litigations on multiple forums using students' fees.
8. Not appointing permanent people in empty posts like AO and Financial Officers.
9. Not progressing with urgent requirements like hostel expansion and making students live in cramped hostels despite paying a shitload of money.
10. Inviting someone as controversial as the CM to the convocation as chief guest to curry personal political favour. This has never been done in history of NUJS.
11. Losing a huge source of revenue by not trying to get NAAC accreditation so that legit online courses can be offered to earn revenue and reduce burden on students.
12. Not improving the security of the campus or replacing the useless guards leftover from past administration.
13. Not implementing a single recommendation of the Review Commission or even the simple ones suggested by SJA 4l since 4 years back.
I can go on. But let's stop at unlucky thirteen, which is what this admin has proven to be for NUJS. Unlucky. And useless. This place is just similar to another state university now and unfit of being called an elite national institution.
We may just end up in a similar situation. Sure Lord Taluk was not entirely thrust on us by the Calcutta HC but informal consultations did take place among retired and serving regime friendly HC judges, AG and lawyer-politicians of the party in power. In our case Taluk has not been on a spending binge. Instead under the cover of "clean-up" and "following the book" his so-called austerity measures, including denying himself salary (does it really matter how the political favours are traded outside the campus?) have ensured that our university becomes financially dependent on state government dole.
It is clear that Lord Taluk was specifically imposed on us to complete the unfinished business of political takeover of our university. This was the deal that got PIB his second term. When his political masters saw that he was wobbling the #PIBOut moment was used to fool SJA into accepting Lord Taluk. For all his protestations, Lord Taluk will only leave when the state signals that they have completed the takeover.
clatconsortiumofnlu.ac.in/nlu/brochure/NLSIU.pdf
clatconsortiumofnlu.ac.in/nlu/brochure/WBNUJS.pdf
Also, the NUJS convocation programme is out, but a very mediocre chief guest compared to previous years (VC of CU ,who awarded an honorary PhD to Mamata)
indianexpress.com/article/education/anju-seth-takes-over-as-iim-calcutta-director-first-woman-to-hold-post-5451853/
Taluk comes from the same augean stable as the ones below. This will also make it easy for you to guess who or what kind of VC we are likely to get
www.telegraphindia.com/india/dr-same-same-chatterjee/cid/1489382 (also mentions the exploits of the one who must not be named but only revered)
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Copy-paste-barb-at-Dr-Parthas-thesis/articleshow/51818007.cms
www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/bungalow-heat-on-vc/cid/1523346
Maybe CU or even NUJS will confer an honorary doctorate to Taluk and his EC friends in the next convocation?
thewire.in/law/uncloaking-the-rule-of-opacity-in-national-law-universities
I don't know what the SJA intends to do. Possibly retire hurt. Or what the future SJA will actually do beyond the sloganeering for votes. What I think we can all do to honour the risks that Arjun took then and even now, is to swarm Taluk & Co into responding to the RTIs that he has filed and also demand answers for the points that Arjun has raised in his Wire articles. At the very least let's have the b***s to give the loudest cheers and a standing ovation when Arjun comes on the stage.
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