The NUJS Kolkata executive council (EC) has rejected the West Bengal state law ministry and vice chancellor-endorsed Prof Ishwara Bhat’s controversial plan to establish two more campuses of the national law school, we have learned.
As we had reported in September 2016, Bhat’s term as VC had been renewed as a last-minute addition to the agenda for the executive council proposed doubling NUJS’ batch size to 250 students and opening two new branches of the college in West Bengal outside of Kolkata.
The plan had faced considerable resistance, with the NUJS student juridical association (SJA) having sent an eight-page letter to the EC earlier today, resisting the establishment of two more campuses (see full letter below) making arguments such as it:
- being antithetical to the structure and functioning of NLUs,
- potentially leading to disparity and fall in academic quality, as well as a fall in student quality,
- making the present student body and culture at NUJS unsustainable,
- potentially impacting NUJS-wide recruitment opportunities, which are limited,
- being hampered by the dearth of quality law faculty in India, and
- diluting the NUJS brand.
We understand that the SJA later today also informed the student body today that “the proposal to set up two new branches of NUJS has been definitely rejected by the Executive Council”.
The SJA noted in its email:
According to multiple trusted sources, the Council noted that the State Government is free to establish new NLUs. However, their establishment shall not affect the existing working or structure of NUJS. NUJS’ role in the establishment of new NLUs (if any) will be entirely passive. NUJS may mentor these new NLUs (if any) set up under alternate statute.
The news coincides with Bhat and the college awaiting the report of the long-overdue review commission of NUJS, which is to examine the administration, academic credentials and student grievances.
NUJS students had passed a second no-confidence motion in Bhat in September 2017.
Comments
You know how much faculty and administrative talent an NLU attracts? And restricting that talent to a few entrants is bad. You know nujs students,
It would have helped the community to have two more institutions with as much respect.
NUJS had always been proud of how students elevate the University. It's a shame that you didn't thing that your name won't attract good enough talent to elevate your branches. (While bringing in diversity, Making each a centre of Academic excellence, exchange programmes within.. the possibilities would have been endless.)
Damn.
Have you any idea of the disproportionate development/infra at NUJS compared to the fees we pay?
I wonder why IIM-B doesn't have two campuses? Advise them too!
You pay money for the brand, the peer merit, the Alumni and the opportunities. That aside you won't even let other kids have access to such opportunity?
You guys should study policymaking. And not be dumb.
But the EC should also be sent letters like this against Bhat. As the letter points out it is hard to get quality faculty in India. For a time, NUJS was the exception with the best faculty. All left because of this man.
1) The SJA has merely opposed the use of the NUJS brand. Nothing stops the government from establishing law schools there under different brand names, pay faculty salaries equal to NUJS and build nice campuses. YOU are elitist for thinking that non-NLU state brands cannot be built.
2) YOU are elitist for wanting law schools in Asansol (law minister's constituency) when there are far more deprived and poor placed in the state that could benefit with a new state law school (e.g. Purulia, Santhal-dominated tribal areas)
3) YOU are elitist for supporting a VC with zero accountability and serious charges against him.
.
Do you know what elitism means? Your comment above. Believing your name to be above all. Understand that your law school is owned by state. Understand that state nurtured it and this is for increasing access, if you want an accountable vc go bang the doors of the right forum.
Only a few join a institute for its five star infrastructure and world class faculty in India. The main aim is the diversity and richness of student merit and the alumnus. Even you probably looked at the placement figures rather then curriculum, or you might have chosen jgls nirma or something.
It's sad that how little of the education system you are able to comprehend. And how self-centered and panicky your reaction is.
It is sad how little [i]you[/i]understand what elitism means before projecting the whole student community as being elitist by your definition. It is sad how [i]you[/i] are unable to comprehend that the SJA objected to the use of NUJS as a brand for other law schools. As one of the comments rightly stated, the SJA never did have an issue with the establishment of other law schools in the State. It would have been elitist had the student body taken up the argument of wanting to be the ONLY law school in the State; it never once raised an issue with founding other law schools in West Bengal. Is the representation mentioning even once that students from non-elite backgrounds are not to be accepted in the law school?
Lastly, haters always gonna hate. Sorry you are filled with so much hate for NUJS students. Sour grapes, perhaps?
http://www.financialexpress.com/education-2/alert-for-students-jamia-hamdard-iisc-bangalore-iift-others-to-lose-university-tag-ugc-order-hits-123-univs-is-yours-affected/930916/