In a win for the students of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in Bengaluru, noted legal scholar and NLS alumnus Sudhir Krishnaswamy took charge as Vice-Chancellor on Wednesday ending an episode of controversy.
Sudhir Krishnaswamy, 44, was until now a professor and director at the School of Policy and Governance, Azim Premji University. He is also a Rhodes scholar and acts as a visiting professor for Indian Constitutional Law at the Columbia Law School.
It may be recalled the students had been protesting against the erstwhile ad-hoc university administration for allegedly delaying his appointment. Many students who had skipped classes on Friday and Saturday as a mark of protest had also boycotted their end-trimester exams on Monday.
The protest was called off following a letter by NLSIU alumnus and senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayan informing the students that he had apprised the Chief Justice of India Justice Ranjan Gogoi (also the Chancellor of NLSIU) and Justice SA Bobde on the issue.
The appointment takes place even as co-chairman of Bar Council of India Ved Prakash Sharma had written to the CJI to review the appointment much to the dismay of the students.
The controversy
While the former Vice-Chancellor of the university R Venkata Rao completed his 10-year term on July 31, his successor was named through a mandated process on August 2.
As per the NLSIU Act, a high-level committee appointed by the CJI – MP Singh (distinguished Jurist), KK Venugopal (Attorney General for India) and Arvind Datar (senior advocate) – had chosen Krishnaswamy on September 2, but the students alleged malafide intention on the interim administration for delaying his appointment. They also accused Registrar OV Nandimath of conflict of interest, since he himself had applied to the V-C’s post but was not selected. The students had also complained that the temporary administration was passing anti-student resolutions, sometimes without even issuing circulars.
Previously the Student Bar Association had said, “We believe he (Krishnaswamy) is highly suited to lead NLSIU due to his excellent academic credentials, and also since he is a former student, he has a close understanding of the spirit and ethos of NLSIU.”