‘Tu jaanta hain mera baap kaun hain?’ (Do you know who my dad is?)

‘Kyun, tujhe pata nahin tera baap kaun hain?’ (Why, don’t you know who your dad is?)

This is a cliché dialogue used to indicate power and the far reaching depths of power that a person possesses due to what his/her dad does. A necessary logical reply to this line is the reply statement mentioned. But, unfortunately, things don’t work that way. Even today, power is looked upon as the be all and end all of getting work done. The field of law still happens to be one where contacts work and for the most part, is the only thing that works.

‘Jugaad’ refers to jack or an arrangement which is powerful enough to get work done. ‘Work done’ has a very wide ambit which ranges from getting an internship to getting a job to getting to be a junior under a senior counsel and can even go up to an internship with the ICJ.

When I refer to Jugaad and its colloquial usage, it is a means to get work done in the best possible manner irrespective of the qualifications that a person possesses or the way he presents himself or what his overall resume has. I have seen it happen time and again, that internships, jobs etc. get done only through this all powerful tool barring a small minority who get in through pure merit.

This post isn’t just indicative of law schools where recruitment drives are very good and people don’t need to rely on contacts, but the entire profession as such which includes colleges all over. And for a vast majority of law students present, a student for the most part, has to rely on contacts in order to get into anything that he/she does.

JUGAAD has certain essential characteristics which makes it all the more effective: · It can be used anywhere, anytime. · It has to be used as a necessary tool to get things done especially if your college is not reputed. · It has far reaching depths depending on where it gets to be used and how has to be used. · It can be utilised through various means-relatives, friends, relatives’ friends, relative’s friend’s friends’ etc. · Qualifications aren’t as important as the surname that the person utilising it possesses. · There is a forever lasting obligation/debt created by the person who utilises the Jugaad in favour of the person through whom the Jugaad was used. · Jugaad is most effective in case of above average, average and below average candidates who need the extra push or who just need push in order to get through somewhere. In cases of meritorious students and toppers, it may not pose such a threat or may not be resorted to.

Therefore, the next time that you see anyone come up with certificates of top law firms, counsels etc. without having even seeing their offices even once, don’t get perturbed, they owe it all to the power of Jugaad. Jugaad is best witnessed during recruitment drives when surprise recruitments are made and people keep wondering as to how a candidate graduated from a level of no hope to a level of top notch recruitment.

Always remember, ‘Jugaad helps, and absolute Jugaad helps absolutely!’ P.S. Depending on which part of the country you’re from, Jugaad may be replaced by alternative terms of colloquial usage.