The petition, which, since it was published several hours ago earlier today, has already attracted 51 supporters, who are ostensibly NUJS students or alumni.
The petition is entitled “loss of confidence in the vice chancellor and request for urgent redressal”, and states that recent events at the law school, such as the resignation of professor Shamnad Basheer first reported by Legally India on 2 January, have led the alumni to “seriously doubt the efficacy of the current leadership in retaining the academic edge that NUJS had built over the last several years”.
The alumni have expressed concern and cited detailed examples over declining standards in faculty appointment and retention, the law school’s infrastructure, the manner of dealing with sexual harassment complaints at the law school and the VC Ishwara Bhat’s non-responsiveness to emails by organisations and university guests keen on liaising with NUJS on research and moots.
It states:
The past Vice Chancellors’ had the required academic vision and capability to attract leading faculty the world over by offering appropriate incentives and creating a stimulating research and teaching environment.
Little wonder then that within a short period of 10 years, NUJS rose in prominence to take its place as one of the best law schools in the country today. Unfortunately, it took a mere two years for the current leadership to plunge NUJS into a free fall of decline. This tenure has been marked by an alarming exodus of good quality faculty and a drastic fall in academic standards,” the petition states.
Bhat did not respond to a phone call from Legally India seeking comment.
One alumn wrote on change.org:
Ishwara Bhat is by far the worst plague that NUJS has ever had to endure. He has successfully managed to undo all the good that Prof. M.P. Singh accomplished during his tenure as Vice Chancellor. He must be removed with immediate effect if the institution is to have any chance at returning to its former glory.
Another added:
Being a student of NUJS, it is extremely worrisome to see the University in shambles because of bureaucracy. I do not trust the University in the hands of the currrent VC, because in his tenure the best members of our faculty have left.
In July 2013 faculty members complained about Bhat’s allegedly arbitrary decision making, with Bhat in return having promised to improve faculty standards.
Comments
And indeed if the conditions at NUJS are as rosy as you and other nincompoop minions like you believe, reply to each of the points in the petition with true reasons rather than putting random comments here. If I had my way, I would include your name too in the petition and ask for your removal.
Its better to keep a check on one's activity and flickering toungue. Even I am convinced that many of the sources quoted in the petition are media reports that cannot be fully relied on. Also that moving a no-confidence should be a prerogative of the current batches and current students of NUJS and not that of the alumnis. I being an alumni and a signatory to the petition, am only cautious that thorough ground work have been done by the alums mooting this petition.
If you are concerned with the contents of the petition and want back up, do feel free to ask. It shall be provided. Please also note that once this process is taken up by way of an RTI application, worse consequences will follow.
Have faculty left? Yes. Are they being replaced with similar or better faculty? No. The standards of NUJS we set very very high when Prof Singh was in charge. Have those standards falled? Yes,
You also seem to be another of VCs minions. To answer your questions:
a) Did the alumni do their homework: Read the petition and the annexures. You might understand.
b) Answer to insider's points: There were no points raised in the post by insider. It was only an attempt on part of that faculty to show to the rest of the world how incompetent as a lawyer he/she is.
Dear Alumni,
I think we should also point out various benefits that these faculties have got after the current VC has come in. Out of turn promotions, etc. should be looked into.
Dear Bakwas and Insider,
Might be a good time to look into other job opportunities.
Good to see that LI is finally contacting the VC for comment after stubbornly looking the other way. This proves how social media sets the agenda and mainstream media is bowing down to pressure from social media.
Plus, Headlines Today reported on this petition, while the sexual harassment case was headlines on Times Now and IBN tonight. Considering the importance of the matter LI must continue to chase the VC for comment.
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/nujs-students-write-to-cji-sign-mass-petition-against-vcs-misrule/1/335553.html
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/nujs-students-write-to-cji-sign-mass-petition-against-vcs-misrule/1/335553.html[/quote]
Well if their reporting is as good as their college ranking, this report should be avoided.
Can you also find out whether the VC has actually managed to do anything as per his reassurances and promises provided to the students and faculty in July 2013. Also as indicated by the VC supporters, has LegallyIndia never reported the VC side or the story or never contacted him in relation to the recent incidents involving NUJS?
why the hell didn't you post this video link where the VC says he is prepared to face the review commission.
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/video/cji-free-to-take-action-against-me-nujs-vice-chancellor/1/335557.html
As per the letter of resignation sent to the VC by Prof Basheer as reported by LegallyIndia, it was very clear that there were certain misrepresentations made by the VC to the members of the EC. So I dont know whether all that he would say now would be true.
And Dear Insider, since you are a faculty of this University for a long time now, its time that you started to think about the institution over your own selfish needs.
I can only imagine what the state of its current students' morale would be as god knows there is enough to worry about in law school especially in these tough economic times. They deserve a better person and a better administrator steering them out of this mess. Ishwara bhat, nothing perspnal, has to go.
1. Justice Ruma Pal
2. MP Singh, BS Chimni and Madhava Menon
3. Somnath Chatterjee
4. Education or Law Minister of Bengal or someone from the Bengal govt like Derek O'Brien
5. Advocate General of Bengal
6. Well established NUJS alumni
7. Ex faculty who have left NUJS
8. Present or past members of NUJS EC
[quote name="Alum"]Kian some VERY serious allegation have been made in the petition, including direct or indirect corruption (in faculty appointments). We hope you will give this story the seriousness it deserves. I would also request you to interview some of the following people so that the coverage is balanced:
1. Justice Ruma Pal
2. MP Singh, BS Chimni and Madhava Menon
3. Somnath Chatterjee
4. Education or Law Minister of Bengal or someone from the Bengal govt like Derek O'Brien
5. Advocate General of Bengal
6. Well established NUJS alumni
7. Ex faculty who have left NUJS
8. Present or past members of NUJS EC[/quote]
Section 13 of the Act says:
(1) A public servant is said to commit the offence of criminal misconduct,-
(d) if he,-
(i) by corrupt or illegal means, obtains for himself or for any other person any valuable thing or pecuniary advantage; or
(ii) by abusing his position as a public servant, obtains for himself or for any other person any valuable thing or pecuniary advantage; or
(iii) while holding office as a public servant, obtains for any person any valuable thing or pecuniary advantage without any public interest
(2) Any public servant who commits criminal misconduct shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall be not less than one year but which may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to fine
FACT CHECK 1: The only IP law prof at an IIM is VK Unni (IIM Cal, ex-NALSAR). His qualifications are nowhere as impressive as Shamnad's. He did his LLM and PhD from India (I think from NALSAR).
FACT CHECK 2: The faculty at NLSIU are not as good as the ones who have left in the past 2 years. Wile NLSIU students are good, their faculty is not. They can never replace the people who have left.
FACT CHECK 3: The IIT law school only has one IP professor with a law background. The other IP profs are scientists who do patents. I doubt if they would be interested and even then their qualifications are nowhere as good as Shamnad's.
[quote name="Dynamic Noojie"]the news from an insider is that NUJS VC is bringing a top prof in IPR from a leading IIM and the concerned prof has met the authorities last Thursday and has agreed to take charge of Chair from Feb 2014, negotiations are also with some faculty in IIT Kharagpur's law department as well as faculty from NLS Bangalore to make them join in other subjects as well and some may join. This will cool down things and take the pressure off from the allegation that faculty members are leaving in large numbers[/quote]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ror9yyqmHWU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp54NyYteEc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF5EFiKfDO4
Request you to keep following this story and not drop it due to pressure from powerful quarters.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/harassment-faculty-exit-admin-failure-nujs-v-c-faces-campus-anger/
Well said. As for alumni not joining, I have heard from a reliable source that some of our mediocre insecure teachers are opposed to this, with full support of the top brass. If alumni with good qualifications start teaching, the mediocre teachers will naturally feel sidelined. There are NUJS alumni teaching in places like NLU Delhi and Jindal. Why not make them a good offer?
I would also request Kian and Prachi to please highlight the problem.
And when I say NUJS alumni I mean LLB alumni not LLM alumni :)
And when I say NUJS alumni I mean LLB alumni not LLM alumni :)[/quote]
Which LLB alumni are you talking about. One is teaching in NUJS itself
1. Legally India: NUJS VC as
a) Washington Post: Richard Nixon
b) Tehelka : Bangaru Laxman
c) News of the World: Salman Butt
d) NDTV: Nehru Gandhi family