NLS to increase batch size to 120 post 75% state funding cuts, state reservation

Saturday, 27 June 2020 By Legally India Law schools

NLSIU Bangalore is set to increase its intake from 80 students to up to 120, vice chancellor (VC) Prof Sudhir Krishnaswamy and registrar Prof Sarasu Esther Thomas said in an alumni video conference call today.

They confirmed on the call that NLSIU would increase its batch size to 120, though we understand the plan would likely not take effect this academic year.

Today the overdue meeting of the NLSIU executive council (EC) also happened, which had been long delayed due to the Covid-19 crisis.

According to our sources, the EC had signed off on the increase in batch size and the Bar Council of India (BCI) too had given its blessings on the plan several months ago.

These changes will be made against a backdrop of the Karnataka state government having passed the 25% state domicile reservation at NLS, as well as slashing its funding from Rs 2 crores per year to only Rs 50 lakh, as first reported earlier this month.

The increase in batch size and corresponding growth in tuition fee incomings would go only some way towards meeting that shortfall, though it would likely not be enough by itself and we understand both administration and alumni are exploring other options, including speaking to the state government about it.

Today’s Zoom calls, which were organised by the new NLSIU alumni association’s governing board that took over in March of this year, covered topics including NLSIU’s infrastructure, diversity and technology in legal education.

We understand that the increase in batch sizes had also been discussed over the last few months with the alumni association.

The new NLSIU Alumni Governing Board members are: Roopa Doraswamy, Bharat Jairaj, Ramanand Mundkur, Dinesh Singh, Savitha Jagadeesan, Yash Yashar, Mani Gupta, Jian Johnson and Akanksha Sharma.

NLSIU Bangalore

Comments

End of an Era 27 Jun 2020, 16:33

+5 -12

No NLU remains with an entire batch that studies together. The sections change many dynamics. The younger generation will never know how it was like anymore

Not really 27 Jun 2020, 17:50

+5 -20

This will be to the detriment of other NLUs. NALSAR and NLUD will lose out as their top rankers would now get Law School. Nothing wrong in a bigger batch size - Harvard has 500+ per batch of JD.

Fact check 29 Jun 2020, 07:15

+4 -0

Yes, because CLAT rank shows the true potential of people. Everyone from NALSAR and NUJS sucks because their CLAT ranks were lower. If you went to one of these schools you would see that there is massive variation in the potential of students even within the same batch, even though they are differentiated by a handful of marks in CLAT.

Guest 29 Jun 2020, 09:56

+4 -1

CLAT rank is mostly useless once you are in law school. May help you getting some of the better hostel rooms at most, in some of the law schools who still allot based on such metric.

Guest 28 Jun 2020, 05:30

Troll

+13 -9

Sudhi is a great man. I support him for what he has done for local kannadiga people. Finally, something has been done which all the previous VC in the past had failed to do.

I wish Facebook recruits him fulltime and law school is robbed of his leadership.

#SudhirForGoogle

Guest 27 Jun 2020, 16:42

+7 -11

Another one bites the dust. Can't be helped, I guess. The money has got to come from somewhere. But there simply aren't enough good and qualified teachers for these bigger batches of students. That's a fact. NUJS' downfall had also started from this increase in batch size.

Real gurest 27 Jun 2020, 17:49

+6 -4

You should have patience. The EC also approved the faculty recruitment list. Wait and see the quantity and quality.

Guest 28 Jun 2020, 04:08

+4 -0

True, new faculty would join. I also have faith in the current administration to ensure that they would be good. But those numbers had been approved keeping in mind the current batch size, not the proposed one. Several existing faculty are also going to retire quite soon. I do not want NLSIU to go down the path of mediocrity. Bigger batch size without proportionate increase in resources invested into the university in all possible directions often has that effect. Even Sudhir cannot pull out a Mrinal out of his hat every time they need new faculty. No good university can sustain running from student funds. This is just the impact of the state neglecting funding higher education. I don't blame the admin for taking this decision, I guess their hands had been tied.

well 28 Jun 2020, 07:28

+0 -3

When you see the names for Assistant Prof that have been selected, you will begrudge your own lack of faith.

Guest 28 Jun 2020, 08:03

+3 -0

Now you seem to be sounding like a troll. 2.1.1 made it clear that they know that the new faculty would be good. But if their workload is suddenly increased by 1.5 times, then even the good people would struggle. Unless you are suggesting that there is again going to be a new influx of recruitment immediately after, which is certainly not going to happen. It is about numbers. Quality alone won't compensate for that.

Guest1 28 Jun 2020, 13:55

+0 -0

If you know who all have been made offers why not tell us? I’m so tired of folks who look into some crystal ball and smugly tell everyone else to wait and see the magic- put up or shut up time.

Guest889 27 Jun 2020, 18:41

+10 -8

They should ideally increase it over and above this. Why haven't they implemented the OBC quotas either? Shameless, for a law University that prides itself on making 'social engineers'

CLATER 27 Jun 2020, 18:56

+5 -7

Apathetic State Government is ,towards NLS.
It should increase funding immediately to atleast 10 crore so that it can subsidise the education of domicle students .
Should the law school sue the State through the High Court?

What happened to the State Government funding the auditorium as announced by ex CJI Dipak Misra ????

Guest 27 Jun 2020, 19:24

+7 -6

But what about the state reservation? Will it be applicable starting from this year itself?
Students need clarity on this, atleast 25% reservation on present 80 seats.
Students of Karnataka fell left out because almost all the nlus now have domicile reservation and why not nlsiu?

vocal for local 29 Jun 2020, 16:48

+1 -0

Also the entire SC and ST reservation is required to be reserved for Karnataka SC/ST candidates as per the judgement of the Karnataka HC in Lolaksha v Convenor CLAT. This will be an additional 22.5% so it's totally 47.5%

Guest 27 Jun 2020, 19:29

+9 -2

Why don't other NLUs have Alumni Governing Bodies? I think NALSAR, NUJS, NLUJ and NLIU are over 20 years old and their oldest graduates are well-established in different careers. Each of these NLUs can have a 10 member body with 2 law firm partners, 2 litigators, 2 IAS/IPS officers, 2 academics and 2 working with think tanks/NGOs.

In case the admin is reluctant, the SBAs can set it up themselves as an unofficial body with strong persuasive authority.

Guest 28 Jun 2020, 01:00

+3 -1

Alum bodies have to be set up by alums, not administrations. That is why other NLUs don't have them - the alums are not united in the same manner that NLS alum are.

Guest 27 Jun 2020, 19:30

+5 -9

NLSIU is the only NLU with an alumni governing council. This is going to be a gamechanger and probably Sudhir's greatest legacy.

Guest 28 Jun 2020, 01:01

+10 -1

Sudhir didn't create it! It's been there for years.

CBT 28 Jun 2020, 05:00

+8 -0

Not related to Sudhir at all. Alumni GC was there before as well. Sudhir has prolly just increased interaction.

BossMan 27 Jun 2020, 19:36

+9 -11

NALSAR should have an alumni board as well. I hereby nominate Anirudh Krishnan, Suhasini Sen, Anup Surendranath and Shreya Rao.

Guest 28 Jun 2020, 01:01

+8 -0

You knew just 4 names?

Anonn 28 Jun 2020, 04:25

+2 -6

Oh you're missing Chinmayi Arun. By far the coolest Alum NALSAR has.

Guest 28 Jun 2020, 06:21

+2 -5

Why no love for Abdal? Or Krishna?

Guest 27 Jun 2020, 19:39

+6 -2

The price you pay for refusing to unite with other NLUs and seeking Nationalisation. Thankfully, at least NLUD has challenged it in court and may be rescued from domicile quota.

Guest 27 Jun 2020, 19:41

+2 -1

The alumni board idea is very good, but it should be rotated very 2 years. The college has the best alumni so everyone should get a chance to contribute.

Guest 27 Jun 2020, 20:06

+5 -7

Can anyone explain why NLSIU alumni are so much more united than in other NLUs? My theory is that this tradition started in the 80s and 90s, for the following reasons:

- Small batch sizes at a remote location back then got people closer
- Madhav Menon's focus on community values
- Good faculty specially recruited by Menon, who made students idealistic and socially aware
- Other NLUs suffer from an inferiority complex, which results in competition among students.

Guest 27 Jun 2020, 21:09

+9 -7

Those wanting an alumni body in their NLU: Be careful what you wish for. A corrupt VC will plant LLM/PhD alumni instead of BA LLB alumni to sow dissension, or maybe plant those BALLB alumni who are chelas of the admin. It is better for the students to form a voluntary LLB advisory body through the alumni association rather than an institutionalised one. That will ensure merit.

Guest 28 Jun 2020, 04:11

+1 -0

Volunteers would ensure merit? How, exactly?

Elitism Go Away 28 Jun 2020, 04:28

+8 -1

Bro what's the issue with LLM, PhD people? Never understood this about NLU folks?! They are also good people trying to do something worthwhile.
It's about getting good people on board, good, competent and qualified.
The hatred towards LLM,PhD is totally unjustified. And in many foreign countries, it's your PG/(PhD) college that you are actually known by!
Life is much bigger than your undergraduate or any degree friend!

Ouch 28 Jun 2020, 04:32

+13 -0

Sorry I didn't know that only LLB was a yardstick of merit or infuser of merit in folks.
Let me tear up my LLM (Lallam) degree then and cry for being merit-less.

Guest 27 Jun 2020, 21:50

+0 -1

Kian, can you clarify if NLSIU is the only NLU with an alumni council and if Faizan plans to replicate the model at NALSAR?

Guest 28 Jun 2020, 06:23

+2 -1

Faizan didn't study at NALSAR. Ergo, not alum; ergo can't make alumni association. Alumni will need to do that. They have tried 3 times in the last 15 years, twice in previous 5, but somehow they aren't as committed to the idea.

Guest 28 Jun 2020, 00:28

+0 -1

Did the EC approve the faculty hires? Who's joining? Any truth to rumour of NLUD and JGLS faculty joining?

Confirmations 28 Jun 2020, 09:24

+0 -0

Multiple rumors on the previous thread regarding recruitment seem to have been confirmed! Major NLUD moves...

NLUD is 28 Jun 2020, 13:23

+0 -1

At least two people from NLU Delhi (who are NLS alum) seem all set for the move.

Guest 28 Jun 2020, 00:55

+0 -0

Bar & Bench did a live commentary summing up all the speeches.

https://twitter.com/barandbench/status/1276841597309562883

Guest 28 Jun 2020, 00:57

+1 -1

Domicile quota is NOT happening at NLSIU and NLUD. At the seminar ASG Vikramjeet Banerjee said that the NLUD HC judgement is awaited. The court will strike it down and then NLSIU will not have to implement it next year. Thus, NLSIU and NLUD will be the only 2 truly national NLUs.

https://twitter.com/barandbench/status/1276855855145574401

Gambino 28 Jun 2020, 06:02

+6 -6

I wish to join in the fun and propose the Alumni Executive Council for NUJS. My picks are all from the first batch (2005). All have LLMs and meet the minimum UGC qualification to be a teacher, in case that is as an issue.

From academics:

Shubhankar Dam, LLM Harvard and BCL (Oxford): Faculty at Portsmouth University
Nemika Jha, LLM Harvard (topper of the batch): Faculty at Jindal, previously AMSS and practice in New York
Saptarishi Bandopadhyay, LLM (AU), LLM (Harvard), SJD (Harvard): Faculty at Osgoode Hall

In-house counsels:

Mohit Abraham, LLM Harvard: Policy director, Uber, San Francisco
Aditi Jha, LLM Stanford: General Counsel, LinkedIn India

Law firm partners:

Uma Sud, LLM Harvard: Partner, Thatcher & Bartlett, London
Aditya Khanna, LLM Columbia: Partner, Ropes and Gray, London
Abhimanyu Bhattacharya, LLM Singapore: Partner at Khaitan, former partner at AMSS

Guest 28 Jun 2020, 07:43

+1 -3

Solid list. Better than NALSAR’s.

Guest 28 Jun 2020, 08:05

+9 -1

They have got one thing in common with those from NALSAR. None is interested.

Secondthought 28 Jun 2020, 10:06

+1 -0

This is a pretty decent list and NUJS will truly benefit if it can get some of these people on board. But an alum council can only do so much from the outside. Ultimately I think NUJS will suffer for not having a young guard as VC. The old guard has made important contributions but these rapidly changing times the law school truly needs a younger leader

Guest 28 Jun 2020, 14:55

+1 -0

It is strange that someone with [...]'s academic and industry record, despite teaching at Jindal for the better part of the last decade, does not seem to have a single scopus publication to their name! I wonder why. She's certainly more than capable. And Jindal actively encourages faculty for stuff like that I believe.

Senility 29 Jun 2020, 04:26

+5 -0

That list is not complete with Prof (Dr.) [...], the most respected faculty member in NUJS currently and the one key behind the #SayNoToBhat Campaign and also the person who brought in stalwarts like Chief Justice (retd.) A. Taluqdar to serve as interim VC till NUJS was back on track.

Some of his accomplishments are:

a. Successfully completing B.A. LLB., LLM., MPhil, PhD and S.J.D. from NUJS in shortest span of 10 years
b. Successfully being part of elite first batch of NUJS
c. Passing LLB with less than 5 fails/repeats, submitted Ph.D thesis with at least 25% originality
d. Winning the Murshidabad Memorial Moot (Triple M) three times in a row and then being Moot Advisor for SJA
e. Taking Media Law course which is not actively copied by all other NLUs
f. Writing original piece on "Data protection and the law", cited by Supreme Court

Only Subhankar Dam came close to Prof. [...] in terms of academic brilliance. Unlike subankar, Prof. [...] decided to give back to his alma mater and stay behind in NUJS instead of frolicking and enjoying comforts of foreign jobs.

He will be a leading contender for post of VC / Registrar once the same is notified by the authorities.

Gopal Sankaranarayanan 28 Jun 2020, 07:49

+14 -1

Kian, I just want to correct you on the first two paras. I was one of those on the Zoom calls and it was never communicated to us that the EC had decided to expand the intake. This is a complete bolt from the blue and we first heard of this from your story.

Guest 28 Jun 2020, 08:03

+6 -2

Haha. This is typical Kian. That's why we love him. He knows what people want to read.

Guest 28 Jun 2020, 08:06

+0 -0

Don't you think that in the light of the new intake, the faculty numbers should also again increase? Otherwise it will be the same case of trying to make up for the shortfall with ad-hoc and contractual people that's been happening all these years.

Sidharth Chauhan 28 Jun 2020, 18:30

+8 -0

I second Gopal on this. The NLSIU Executive Council (EC) Meeting had been held earlier in the day on June 27, 2020. The Zoom session organised by the NLSIU Alumni Association happened later in the evening. While the possibility of increasing student intake and the domicile quota were both mentioned during the discussions as part of the first panel on 'Infrastructure and Investment', the actual content of the resolutions passed by the NLSIU EC earlier in the day was not set out or explained. Perhaps you should reach out to Sudhir Krishnaswamy and Sarasu Thomas, asking them to issue a statement which explains what all was approved by the NLSIU EC meeting. This report is causing unnecessary confusion.

kianganz 29 Jun 2020, 11:51

+2 -1

Thanks for your feedback. We understand from sources with knowledge of the meeting that the EC has indeed signed off on the increase, though a lot of things were on the agenda.

Kabila 28 Jun 2020, 11:40

+2 -0

This is disastrous. It's one thing to cave and give in for state reservation but to get the state funding slashed to one fourth and at the same time implement state based reservation shows that Sudhir has no muscle beyond few prominent alums which doesn't help much. This is beyond terrible.

Pragmatic View 28 Jun 2020, 13:54

+1 -0

@ Kabila: The implementation of the 25 per cent domicile quota has been explicitly linked to the expansion of seats in the B.A., LL.B. from 80 to 120. This means that both steps will be taken together, only after the necessary infrastructure is ready. The net result will be 30 seats for Karnataka students and 90 seats for the rest, which would in fact be an increase over the current number. There is a sizeable pool of CLAT applicants from Karnataka, so there will not be a dilution in the quality of incoming students.

The reduction in State funding (from Rs. 2 crore to Rs. 50 lakhs) is only for FY 2020-2021 owing to the COVID-19 situation. It could well be restored or even increased in the future. In the longer run, cooperation with the State Government will yield specific gains such as more sponsored training programmes and faster clearances for building newer infrastructure. However, it must also be noted that the State support given in recent years (Rs. 2 crore per year) has only covered a small portion of annual operating costs (ranging between Rs. 25-30 Crores). So NLSIU does need to mobilize funds through several methods. Expanding the intake is only one measure. More attention needs to be given towards attracting funding through research projects, distance education and specialised training programmes. Philanthropic contributions (especially from alumni) are also likely to be a source of regular support. All these options were discussed in the webinar organised by the Alumni Association.

Guest 28 Jun 2020, 13:45

+2 -0

A highly qualified NLSIU alum currently at JGLS is going to be joining NLSIU.

Guyz 29 Jun 2020, 12:10

+0 -0

Really? Please share at least some details instead of making wild assertions.

Guest 29 Jun 2020, 12:31

+2 -1

Highly qualified? What did they do, get the Nobel when none of us had been looking?

Guest 28 Jun 2020, 13:55

+4 -0

NLUJ should have an alumni committee too. I vote for Atreya Bhattacharya, Samarth Gupta, Tarun Mathur, Avi Tandon, Sannoy Das, Aadarsh Ramanujan and Namita Das for now.

Guest 28 Jun 2020, 14:00

+2 -2

Karnataka govt will recommend NLSIU for INI status, hence the decrease in funding because the centre will pay it.

Guest 28 Jun 2020, 14:03

+2 -2

Hats off to Sudhir for roping in alumni. All the TLC VCs oppose alumni involvement.

Guest 28 Jun 2020, 15:56

+2 -0

He didn't rope anyone in. The governing body has been there long before he became the VC.

Guest 28 Jun 2020, 21:06

+4 -0

The alumni of NLSIU are its saviours. If other NLUs need to learn one lesson from NLSIU, it is to have a strong alumni group.

Guest 28 Jun 2020, 21:22

Contested

+4 -1

Let's be frank: the domicile quota in non-Hindi states is a backlash against students from the BIMARU region. Even the webinar spoke of the low presence of non-Hindi students [...] In the past 5-6 years the demographics of NLUs have changed a lot. If you look at the big cities of India, most are in non-BIMARU states where the native language and culture is not Hindi (i.e. Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune, and even Delhi has many non-BIMARU residents). [...]

[...]

Guest 29 Jun 2020, 05:05

Featured

+0 -3

@Kian - reporting this message. I know it will pass your weak community standards test. But I think people need to report and flag more often just to make a point. You allow a lot to pass anonymously in name of opinion which is just a fear of the other.

Janardhan Pashupati 29 Jun 2020, 04:01

+6 -1

Who cares? All these elitist law-schools are only churning out self-serving law graduates who're slaves to capitalism and aren't doing any real good.

Guest3 29 Jun 2020, 05:10

+1 -0

Someone like you, who is accused so many horrors, is not expected to care.

Guest 29 Jun 2020, 05:48

+0 -0

What horrors Guest 3? Please explain.

Lazy Research 29 Jun 2020, 10:39

+4 -2

Sorry to take the comments away from NALSAR et al, but there are a number of NLS grads who are doing extraordinary things in Academics (Neha Jain? Shyam Balaganesh? Sandeep Sreekumar? Sandeep G? Rahul Rao? Lavanya Rajamani? And these are only the Rhodes Scholars), pro-bono Litigation (Sanjoy, Trideep, Warisha?)and backbreaking behind-the-scenes work. Those of us who have trodden the beaten path of capitalism do keep track of our batchmates, but we're not in the habit of running to Legally India every week and telling the world about what they've done.

Capitalism does have it's own value in society, by the way- jobs, growth, improving quality of life of millions. Dissing it this easily does it a disservice.

Guest 29 Jun 2020, 11:40

+2 -3

"Improving quality of life of millions" - Heh, good joke. In exchange of millions, to be more precise.

Guest 29 Jun 2020, 05:53

+0 -0

Full article on India Today ranking.

https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/best-colleges/story/20200706-courting-success-1693102-2020-06-28

[img]https://akm-img-a-in.tosshub.com/indiatoday/images/bodyeditor/202006/BC-Law-Final-1-x443.jpg[/img]

Guest 29 Jun 2020, 17:02

+1 -0

Where's the space on the campus for all this expansion? Unless they plan to demolish the existing hostels and build skyscrapers...

Guest 29 Jun 2020, 19:01

+1 -0

Underground expansion.

Writ! 2 Jul 2020, 13:02

+0 -0

Kian, this has been writted (strangely at the Delhi HC though): https://www.barandbench.com/news/petition-moved-before-delhi-high-court-challenging-domicile-reservation-at-nlsiu-bangalore You may want to update the story and ask NLS admin for comments.

Commenting is closed for this article.