Chauhan, who was a visiting faculty at NLSIU since July 2011, was appointed by way of a temporary contract the terms of which allowed the administration to relieve him at any time without stating reasons.
He received an email from the administration yesterday afternoon summarily ending his contract, with one month’s notice. 28 February will be his last day on campus.
“I was a bit surprised. Generally there has been a culture of dialogue and discussion at NLS,” said the 2008 NLSIU graduate adding, “I have been the first one [to have been relieved] for criticising the VC.”
He told Legally India that in addition to his letter critical of the manner of imposing a curfew on campus, he had also opposed Rao’s leadership style, including his allegedly top-down interference in faculties’ evaluation of their courses and the dwindling number of faculty meetings.
He said that as opposed to the previous system of weekly faculty meetings, there had been only three meetings in the whole of last year – two in connection with the incident of alleged rape of an NLSIU student near campus in October, which was the reason for instating the curfew.
“I just threw the kitchen sink at them. To be fair, if somebody criticises them directly and personally, they have a right to [let him go],” he said. “But given that the NLS model is being copied by others [we need to evolve better systems]. Criticism and dialogue is part of our daily routine and we’ve had far serious disagreements in the past.”
“What is holding us back is leadership which is stuck in the slightly hierarchical style,” he added.
Curfew & discipline
On 13 December Rao, two months after the alleged rape, had warned students’ parents in a letter that “disciplinary measures such as issuing of warnings, imposition of fine, suspension from Hostels, and suspension from classes and dismissal from the University” would be taken against students found violating his 27 November order instating a 9pm curfew on campus.
He had also warned of leopards and rising crime rates in Bangalore, and that students “resisting this good initiative of the University for the safety of the students” by way of going on strike, will face serious action and that their parents should be “mentally prepared for the consequences”.
Chauhan responded on the same day in an emailed open letter to Rao, copied in to all faculty and students.
“While the belated attempt to reach out to parents is appreciated, some of the language in the said letter is downright embarrassing, especially since it is coming from the head of the institution….”
“Initial queries with some attendees in the EC [executive council] meeting have revealed that there was no definitive vote or agreement on the reduction of the curfew time. Furthermore, there was no agreement on the same in the faculty meeting that had preceded the EC meeting. Hence, this is a decision that can be clearly attributed to yourself and Prof. Nagraj [NLSIU’s registrar] (since he voiced the proposal to start with) in a personal capacity.”
Trying to persuade Rao for an open student-and-faculty meeting with the administration on the issue, he wrote: “Using threats of disciplinary action is likely to be as counterproductive as the initial proposal for reducing the curfew time. There is still time to prevent the situation from getting out of hand.
“There are bound to be disagreements and tensions in the working of any institution. It is always a far safer strategy to tackle such disagreements through an open dialogue instead of continuously avoiding difficult questions.”
Losing game?
A final year student of the college speculated that owing to Chauhan’s popularity with the student body his exit was deliberately timed to coincide with NLSIU’s current vacations, adding that it was “a huge loss not for [Chauhan] but for the institute”.
Chauhan commented: “In terms of attracting people to teach, I don’t think he [the VC] knows that there is a market for law teachers as well.”
Rao today told Legally India that Chauhan’s dismissal was a decision of the executive council, but the VC was not available for further comment at the time of going to press due to an ongoing meeting.
Chauhan’s exit leaves only three NLSIU alumni currently teaching at the college: 1999 graduate and associate professor Sarasu Esther Thomas, 1998 graduate and visiting faculty Aditya Sondhi, and 2008 graduate Neha Mishra who joined in 2012.
Door policies
The administration met NLSIU’s student bar association (SBA) on 13 January to negotiate the curfew timing after the SBA wrote to the VC on 17 December. The SBA alleged a consultative deficit with students and parents and misrepresentation of facts to parents in the 13 December notification, such as citing the presence of leopards on campus.
The SBA had pushed for entry into the campus until 12:30am, and exit until 10pm, subject to checking identity cards at the gate.
A member of the SBA told Legally India that in the 13 January meeting, the administration extended lglthe curfew timing by an hour, to 10pm. However, unlike the 27 November notification about the lowered curfew timing, there has been no official notification about the extension granted on the 13th yet.
Click here to read a copy of Chauhan’s open-letter email to the administration
Comments
It's a one man regime here with Ranbir Singh. No faculty opinions, no student bodies like the SBA. Hell the student body is called Vice Chancellor's Student Council. The administration is as worse as it can get.
You tell me then - given this fact, what other reason could there be but his criticism of the higher echelons and their incoherent ways?
Also the facts regarding the alumni teaching at NLSIU is not correct. The faculty directory shows a number of graduates and postgraduates teaching at NLS. The story appears to be biased and concocted.
What you sow is what you reap!
Unfortunately, this means that those appointed in the administration are also not in tune with the founding principles and standards of NLS. NLS was never supposed to be just another decent law school, it was meant to set the standard for legal practice founded in the strong social awareness of the students and faculty. That idea of NLS is fast disappearing. Students only do so much out of individual motivation or out of respect to their seniors, stories of ex-law schoolites and the idea of NLS. They simply don't have the teachers you expect in the premier law school. Chauhan was one of the last widely respected teachers in NLS. Teachers, barring the extreme few, do not contribute to students' motivation in NLS and are quite mediocre. You can't ever expect stunning teachers all around you at a state-funded Indian law school; but the situation in NLS is quite dire considering it's reputation and student body.
All Prof. Chauhan did was ask for an inclusive and consultative process in decision making while raising valid concerns about the manner in which decision were taken. The administration interpreted this as a challenge to authority. Law School is a theatre of the absurd when it comes to administration and faculty.
Are you an LLM?
Are you an LLM?[/quote]
Your grammar skills hardly show you to be 'a' LLB
Are you an LLM?[/quote]
Your grammar skills hardly show you to be 'a' LLB[/quote]
since it's pronounced 'el'-'el'-'em', an is the correct article. -_-
Dude, I doubt you are from NLS. There is no one here who supports Chauhan being sacked. And WTH is denuding the scholastic culture??
And oh, it's Sidharth, not Siddharth.
I really hope you're not from NLSIU, for if you are, you're putting the rest of us to shame. Just how is raising concerns over the dwindling number of faculty meeting or highhandedness in decision making denuding the scholastic culture? At the very least it promotes dialogue and discourse, something we at NLS cherish dearly.
I think that this is NLSIU's loss. It is populated largely with teachers who actively dislike their students, who don't prepare for classes, who teach outdated courses and who grade preferentially. What saves the institution from utter decay is a large and committed body of ex students who come to teach courses, take seminars, counsel existing students, support student events financially and otherwise, and who are there for the students in a manner that the faculty has never been. I can't imagine any responsible Vice Chancellor taking a step that is so actively detrimental to the welfare of his students.
I'm an NLS alum. Chauhan is just another example of how tough it is for non-Southern profs at NLS.
But really - any lawyer who rights a letter like this while under "At-will" employment can't profess surprise when the inevitable happens. I don't mean to dismiss the very valid discussion of the administration's actions here or in general, but If you were GC for the school you'd fire Chauhan as well simply for lack of prudence. I dont know Chauhan and cant judge his motives, but this is a cliche employment situation. The complainant is usually playing some other game, terribly naive or just a knucklehead. I'm sure he wishes he could step back from the letter now, even if he still believes his points.
I'm an NLS alum. Chauhan is just another example of how tough it is for non-Southern profs at NLS.
But really - any lawyer who rights a letter like this while under "At-will" employment can't profess surprise when the inevitable happens. I don't mean to dismiss the very valid discussion of the administration's actions here or in general, but If you were GC for the school you'd fire Chauhan as well simply for lack of prudence. I dont know Chauhan and cant judge his motives, but this is a cliche employment situation. The complainant is usually playing some other game, terribly naive or just a knucklehead. I'm sure he wishes he could step back from the letter now, even if he still believes his points.[/quote]
Only, Law School is neither a business nor a corporate law firm. It's a University, and its success depends on values such as transparency and openness, inter alia. Your argument fails utterly.
Siddarth Chauhan is someone I attended college with and a friend. At a time when campus was about corruption and apathy on the part of the Administration, and mostly apathy on the part of the students (which manifested itself in either rent-seeking behaviour or in wastedness, depending on whom you ask), Sid C was reading/writing papers, setting up forums for people to meet, singlehandedly giving feedback on course curricula. The guy cares only about Academics. He got a foreign LLM so he could teach, not so he could get a fancy job abroad or to 'take a year off' like everyone else. He is also the only person I remember getting a foreign LLM AND then coming back to teach from NLS alumni.
And this is how they reward him. NLS is a great college because of its students, because of its amorphous culture, and because of its alumni network. It's faculty is crap. It's administration might as well be working at the Big Bazaar down the street. Pathetic.
If he is really keen to have a long-term, decent academic career, he should have applied to Jindal Global Law School which is home to 50 similar faculty members, some from his alma mater NLSIU & Pennsylvania as well and many from other US/UK universities. He could have taught in some foreign universities as well. People should not be emotional in making career decisions.
I feel bad for him who was doing a great job but at a law school which is a bad place as an employer.
If he is really keen to have a long-term, decent academic career, he should have applied to Jindal Global Law School which is home to 50 similar faculty members, some from his alma mater NLSIU & Pennsylvania as well and many from other US/UK universities. He could have taught in some foreign universities as well. People should not be emotional in making career decisions.
I feel bad for him who was doing a great job but at a law school which is a bad place as an employer.[/quote]
He was probably teaching at NLS due to the high quality of students. JGLS, really? Money is not the only determining factor for a lot of people/
But you guys completely mistook my point. NLSIU offered him Visiting faculty position. I'm sure, the salary must be even lesser than that of an Asst. Professor. This man who is a graduate of NLSIU & Univ. of Pennsylvania deserves much more than that. A pofessor like him should have been offered a permanent teaching position at NLSIU as an Asst. Professor to start with.
I am in delhi academic circles for last 10 years. I have watched Jindal law schools closely since it was being started, attended its conferences and I have some friends in its faculty members. I have not an iota of doubt in saying that this college provides best working condition for a faculty in India. The quality and number of students is also improving with each passing year and some kids are extremely bright like NLS or DU guys.
Anyway my best wishes to the bright and popular faculty, Sidharth.
That being said, prima facie, it looks like a brilliant teacher was dismissed from NLSIU merely on the ground that he made a few critical comments (which were well measured and made with the intention of making the policy decision making process more inclusive). If this is actually the only reason behind the dismissal, it reflects badly on the current administration and shows that when push comes to shove, decisions are taken unilaterally and emotionally rather than in a objective rational manner.
As for the administration, I am just saddened to see such Machiavellian planning and execution in aid of such petty goals and agendas. Such a waste of their talent and lack of morals.....
"Rule of law in a moral society" - Sounds like an oxymoron
And everyone seems to be creating a logical link between the letter and his dismissal. But do you realize that irking the administration on a single issue need not have been the only reason for such a decision to be taken. The worst thing you can do is to condemn someone without knowing the situation in its entirety. The point being you might be informed, but not entirely or accurately.