The stand-off between students of National Law School of India University (NLSIU) and the administration has refused to end, with the students now deciding to boycott the end-term exams starting on Monday.
A press release sent on Sunday by the Student Bar Association (SBA) said the students were left with no other avenue than to continue their protest. “With the end-term examinations commencing on September 23, an indefinite protest inevitably means boycotting these exams. This decision has not been arrived [at] lightly, or in the heat of the moment. If our protest does not continue, we do not see this administration respecting the findings of this report.”
The SBA’s statement refers to the findings of the four-member committee formed to look into questions from the students, which, the release stated, “confirmed fears” of the composition of the Executive Council being changed one week before its 89th meeting.
The student body has been urging the administration to complete the remaining formalities in the process of appointment of the next Vice-Chancellor of the university.
They alleged a conflict of interest of the Registrar, delay in appointment, and an alteration in the composition of the Executive Council from its previous session, and demanded the recusal of the Registrar from any further involvement in the process of appointment of the Vice-Chancellor.
When the student body resolved to go into an indefinite protest, in-charge Vice-Chancellor M.K. Ramesh called a meeting of the faculty and the student body, but the in-charge Vice-Chancellor and the Registrar “obfuscated and refused to directly answer even simple factual questions”, the SBA said.
A four-member committee comprising two members of the faculty and two members of the student body was then formed to look into these questions. The committee came out with a report that confirmed the change in composition of the executive council. “The Registrar has an evident conflict of interest. The interim Vice-Chancellor has the power to accept the recusal of the Registrar, which he has not exercised. Despite these findings, the administration has only committed to considering the findings of this report. No commitment was made as to when the findings of this report will be given effect to,” the SBA release stated.
The student body also stated that to ensure academics do not suffer, senior batches of the university will take sessions for the junior batches to compensate for the classes that have been missed during the boycott. The Academic Support Programme has set up a database containing all available notes, summaries, and past year papers with answer keys for the benefit of all students.
When contacted, the in-charge Vice-Chancellor said there was “no need to comment”. Asked about the exams, he said they “will go on as usual”.
