The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) consortium has concluded its emergency meeting today following NLSIU Bangalore’s surprise exit from the admissions test to conduct its own, and has decided to pressure NLSIU to come back into the fold.
NLSIU has quasi-responded with a press release, showing little signs of giving in to that plea.
According to a press release from the consortium:
An emergency meeting of the Governing Body was held today under the Chairmanship of Prof. V. Vijaykumar, Vice-Chancellor, NLIU, Bhopal. All the members were present including the Vice-Chancellor of NLSIU, Bangalore.
After detailed deliberations, the Governing Body unanimously resolved to request the NLSIU, Bangalore to reconsider its decision of holding its own independent test for this year’s admission to BA.LL.B and LL.M. The Governing Body resolved that the decision is in violation of Rule 15.3.3. of Consortium Bye-laws as all members of the Consortium are duty-bound to admit students only through CLAT.
The Governing Body further resolved that in case NLSIU sticks to its decision, NLSIU cannot remain associated with the CLAT-2020 in any manner and all financial and administrative decisions will have to be taken by Prof. Balraj Chauhan, CLAT-2020 Convener and the Secretariat of Consortium may be shifted out of NLSIU.
Prof. Balraj Chauhan Convener – CLAT 2020
We have reached out to NLS vice-chancellor (VC) Prof Sudhir Krishnaswamy for comment.
NLS responds, looks ahead
Update 17:27: NLSIU has reacted with a press release of its own about the NLAT (National Law Aptitude Test), noting that it was “compelled by the current circumstances to conduct its own” test at a nominal rate (of between Rs 125 to Rs 150).
In particular, repeated delays of the CLAT would “deprive law students of the opportunity to pursue their studies this year at India’s premier law university”.
The NLAT would be an online exam taken by candidates at home, using “a combination of technological, Artificial Intelligence-based proctoring, as well as human proctoring”. That is very much what Symbiosis and LSAT-India had done, though, much as NLS stated above, this one will be for what is still widely perceived by candidates as India’s top law school, so competition and the temptation to cheat may be much more intense and heightened.
Clearly looking forward (rather than back towards the CLAT, though at least one writ petition has already been filed in a high court this morning that could change those best laid plans), NLS noted in its statement: “We assure NLAT 2020 candidates that NLSIU shall take all possible measures to ensure a smooth test experience.”
Read full NLS press release here.
Rationale: Slow CLAT decision-making
Krishnaswamy told Bar & Bench in an interview just now about his decision and conflict with the other CLAT universities:
I don’t see it as a contest at all. Frankly, we might have been the first to stick our heads out, but there are other universities which are hard-placed. We are not the only university that feels this way. We will engage with the Consortium in a very robust and constructive way. We think that many of these things can be resolved quite easily.
Discussions with the Consortium are ongoing. That process will hopefully yield some positive result.
He also noted that the consortium process had been “a little unwieldy” without any results the the dicussion, and his decision to exit was not a a “knee-jerk decision”, but one based on the “crisis” - in part due to NLS having a trimester system - and not being able to finish admissions by September.
Krishnaswamy also told Bar & Bench:
All the private universities have gone ahead and held their entrance exams. They have already started taking fees. The national law schools have been hampered by the CLAT 2020 process. We had proposed a number of options to the Consortium, but unfortunately, none of them were accepted. Had that been the case, it would have been a smoother process and we would have completed admissions by now.
We have no bone to pick with anyone. Ultimately, it is an ecosystem that we all benefit from, collectively. But we have to move forward, we can’t be stuck in the way that we have been for the last two-three months.
Comments
2. Lmao, literally no one will refrain from writing clat just because NLS doesn't participate, how is there any free riding? I'm from nalsar and know numerous people with nalsar and nujs as their first preference, who've gone on to beat the same nls students for scholarships, internships, moots, jobs etc. Even NLIU has a stellar mooting record. There's so "divide" anymore, get over "law school"
p.s. Also whether it was his brainwave to use a static GK question and misrepresenting it to be based on a given passage, as the sample paper shows.
This argument of lack of access to online facilities is laughable. There is ample notice for a person to arrange for this. If you can afford the fees for any of these law schools, you should be able to arrange for a computer for an exam.
These arguments just make it clear that you want to criticise Sudhir for the sake of criticising him. Come with stronger arguments.
If a person is going to take a bank loan for his future course, he might as well do so a few months before to get a laptop. This patronising woe is me view of people living in villages is laughable. I came from a village, and used bank loans to fund my law school education. If you want it badly enough you will find a way.
2. I will take an education loan knowing I have secured admission at an institution of my choosing, I will have to take a personal loan for the laptop without such certainty.
Abe tum chu___e likhne se pehle sochte nahin ho, ya sochne ki shakti hi nahin hai?
Because he either does not reply, or replies but does not answer. It takes quite a lot of effort to get him to actually engage with you for a fleeting moment after which he will just say he has other stuff to work on.
Sole purpose of a government university is to work for welfare of people not for the welfare of privileged one's.
There are reasons to worry if this was the morally right thing to do. But it doesn’t seem to be motivated by wanting to fill university coffers.
That would be around 2 lakh per year.
For a batch of 120 that would approx. 240 lakh/year or 2.4 cr/year.
Over the 5 years of this batch, that would be 12cr.
If a NLU is not able to admit a batch of students, they will lose 12cr over the next 5 years. That is a very substantial loss to these institution which sometimes receive much less than that over a similar period as grants from state.
This is the money Sudhir is going after. If you see his duty as 'running' the law school, then he is doing that. If you see his duty as something more, then he is about to fail a large population of the country.
1. According to LI story, NLS and its EC resolved to go Messiah way in meetings held between Aug 6 and 18. Did Messiah communicate this to CLAT Consortium, especially when other VCs were being "unreasonable" and audaciously refused to listen to Messiah's Gospel (fortified by EC resolution)?
2. Messiah unfortunately has to depend on earth(l)y mortals to get things done. That includes a supposedly cool Registrar and other faculty reps in the EC etc. Why isn't anyone scrutinizing their actions or supposed silence (also conveniently known as"following orders")?
3. Clearly this was a well thought out move. It is unbelievable that no one in "CLAT Consortium" had no clue. Especially the ones heading up NLIU, NLUO, TNNLS and NALSAR. Did anyone question Messiah why he didn't disclose his "compulsions" when the CLAT exam was move to Sep 7 and later Sep 28? Cat returned the tongue recently?
4. Messiah has already made his position clear (outside the relevant CLAT meetings). Why isn't the CLAT Consortium imposing financial penalties etc and just end the matter. Don't issue empty threats. NLS moved out. Do the uncle VCs not realize that they cannot throw out Messiah when he has already left! NLSIU isn't coming back next year. Methinks soon NLAT and AILET will merge.
5. The compulsion of "trimester system" is a smokescreen. It isn't a recent discovery which struck Messiah & Co at the eleventh hour. If Kian stops deification and instead does the intrepid "scooping" that he was better known (and criticized) for, then maybe we may get to know the actual reasons.
https://twitter.com/sraglaw/status/1302095021731188739
We Will Speak.
1. Use PR to get a QS ranking and retain NIRF top spot.
2. Lobby for National Importance status based on this.
3. Lobby aggressively and use every trick in the book to reject domicile quota.
4.Lobby to get the BCI file a petition in court saying that NLSIU is a National university, other NLUs are state universities (read the petition: this has actually been contended).
5. Insult CLAT consortium so that they are forced to expel you.
6. Have your own entrance test. Charge nothing.
7. From next year, make NLAT a permanent test. Charge $$$$$ for the test. Perpetuate the myth that NLSIU is a "class apart".
Those who disagree with me, do you honestly believe that NLU Assam or Jabalpur or Aurangabad should be on the same platform as NLSIU?
BhaatGhoom has provided no evidence that he actually tried to speak to relevant govt authorities in advance since CLAT Consortium had decided Sep 7 in August, well before Sept lock down dates were decided and announced by DD.
The lock down dates are announced and often changed in open press conferences. Politics aside, there have been instances when the dates in August were changed or reconsidered on the spot by DD. So let's not go all negative on her.
Ironically, on Sep 7, BHU-Law conducted its entrance test. As expected many suffered problems in Kolkata/WB but the test went ahead. CLAT is no JEE/NEET. The Consortium, especially BhaatGhoom had an opportunity to make efforts to ensure that a significant number could reach test centres in Kolkata/WB on Sep 7.
BhaatGhoom went places to secure the hot seat and despite COVID outbreak keeps frequenting places to keep his patrons happy. A fraction of those efforts may have prevented this CLAxit
#CrucifyNotMessiah
#ShorsheBataForBhaatGhoom
Amidst the madness of JEE NEET litigation before the SC, does Sudhir think he is the first for whom a eureka moment struck and he decided to conduct an online-from-home exam?
AI isn't that dumb, but clearly, you are.
He made the students fight to get his appointment letter,
But then he became the VC,
And got unduly prissy,
Though his fans would keep saying that he couldn't get any better!
Who has most Rhodes scholars? NLS.
Who has most Magic Circle offers? NLS.
Who won Jessup? NLS.
Who won Manfred Lachs? NLS.
Who has most NLS/other NLU alumni faculty?
Who has most faculty with foreign degrees? NLS.
Who has most sponsored faculty chairs? NLS.
Who topped NIRF thrice in a row and got 100% in perception score? NLS.
I challenge you to dispute any of this.
2019 - GNLU [2]
2018 - NUJS [3]
2017 - Nagpur U [1] & GNLU [1]
2016 - NLSIU [5], NUALS [1] & NUJS [2]
2015 - CLC [1], NLUD [1]
2014 - NALSAR [3] & NLSIU [4]
2013 - NUJS [1] & NLSIU [3]
2012 - NALSAR [2] & NLSIU [2]
2011 - NALSAR [1] & NLSIU [1]
Since 2011, i.e., in this decade, 17 Rhodes scholarships have been won by law grads. NLS leads with 5, NALSAR and NUJS follow with 3. But we must keep in mind that only the first 7 NLUs had sent out graduates till this point. Even with them, a few had only had a couple of batches out.
If we only look at the most recent five-years, then NLS has only had 1 rhodes scholar, and trails behind NUJS and GNLU who have had 2.
Anyhow, point being that though NLS has maintained its position, it isn't the standout no. 1 it used to be in the 90s. Maybe Sudhir will get those day back, maybe he won't - only time will tell.
2020 - NALSAR 23, GNLU 26 [only 2 teams in top 32 memo scores/no oral rounds conducted]
2019 - NALSAR 1, NLUO 4, NLUJ 9, Symbi 11
2018 - GNLU 9, NUJS 13, NLSIU 19, NLIU 23
2017 - NLUO 9, NALSAR 12, NLIU 30 [only 3 teams broke - Symbi didn't]
2016 - NALSAR 12, NLUO 24 [only 2 broke - GNLU, NUALS didn't]
2015 - NALSAR 1, NLUJ 13 [only 2 broke - NLSIU didn't. The 4th wasn't in top 50]
2014 - prelim rounds positions aren't available. NALSAR was the Indian team that went furthest.
* I looked at previous 5 as for 2014 the preliminary positions weren't available. So I just gave up! Didn't bother looking further back.
** I am going to look at preliminary round break positions. I believe, as an ex-mooter, this to be a fair measure of capability over 4 rounds. From hereon it comes down who gets the luck of a good round/slightly 'weak' opponent etc. You may disagree with methodology, but it is declared up front.
In this metric, NALSAR has clearly been the most successful team at Jessup world over the past 5 years. Followed by NLUO maybe? [b]NLSIU has broken once in 7 years! [/b]
2018 - Symbi were runners-up
2017 - NLSIU won
2016 - none
2015 - NALSAR were semi-finalists
2014 - NLUD won
2013 - NLUD were semi-finalists
2012 - NLSIU won
2011 - none
NLS have held their own in this competition, but are clearly being challenged regularly by others.
Magic circle (i have no personal interest here so I'll let others challenge if it isn't entirely correct [which it might very well be]),
alum faculty (which really doesn't prove anything - PS: have newly appointed people joined? If not, then this might not be correct. Though Jindal will still have you covered)
Foreign degrees - see above
Sponsored chairs - I think this to be correct NALSAR has 4 I believe, NLUD will have as many, and Jindal might very have NLSIU covered anyhow.
NLS continues to be the incomings class' choice. It might very well be the best out there. But it definitely isn't an unchallenged best. Stop boasting as if it is.
[b]Who has most Rhodes scholars?[/b] Not NLS is the past 5 years.
[b]Who has most Magic Circle offers?[/b] To be verified
[b]Who won Jessup?[/b] Not NLS is the past 5 years. They have broken 1 in this time! Far behind perennial powerhouse NALSAR
[b]Who won Manfred Lachs?[/b] NLS and NLUD
[b]Who has most NLS/other NLU alumni faculty?[/b] Jindal
[b]Who has most faculty with foreign degrees?[/b] Jindal
[b]Who has most sponsored faculty chairs?[/b] Could possibly be Jindal
[b]Who topped NIRF thrice in a row and got 100% in perception score?[/b] Bas perception hi hai aapke paas.
Thanks for the lesson, Prof. Krishnaswamy!
If he was so concerned about the students, he would not have come up with this elitist and exclusionary format. On the other hand, Sudhir was never known for his sensitivity to such matters. He is blinded by his privilege. I'm reminded of the time when students were requesting him to not shift the trimester dates as most of them had already booked their flights and one of the students said that they would not be able to afford to cancel and book another flight. To this the Messiah said "your finances are not my lookout". I guess the NLAT notification just further reinforces Messiah's insensitivity towards the underprivileged.
Folks who are buying plane tickets really don’t win the pain olympics when you know anything about where he comes from.