What Is Happening At Dr B R Ambedkar NLU Sonepat

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The Dr. B. R. Ambedkar NLU was established in India by the State of Haryana in the year 2012 however it started its first batch in the year 2019.
• As per the students, none of their complaints and grievances were being acknowledged by the University.
• The students at Dr. B. R. Ambedkar National Law Universities have been struggling against unfavourable circumstances. They decided to boycott classes in the last week of April.
• A few days after the boycott, four class representatives of 2024 resigned.
• After the boycott and resignation, the University took note of the matter and arranged a meeting on May 5.

INTRODUCTION

In order to maintain a healthy student-teacher or student-institute relationship, there must be proper communication between the two. The issues and grievances of the students must be solved competently as they are the main elements of any educational institute. There must be proper grievance redressal as well. As a result of healthy communication, not only do the students benefit from it but also the faculty and the institute get to improve themselves. Effective communication should be both ways. However, the students at DR. D. R. Ambedkar National Law University are struggling with something exactly opposite to this.The Dr. B. R. Ambedkar NLU was established in India by the State of Haryana in the year 2012, however, it started its first batch in the year 2019. The University, when asked about these issues answered that these are “teething” issues. As per the students, none of their grievances are being acknowledged by the University. After the resignations of the class representatives and the boycott of classes, the University finally took notice of what was happening in the university. Keep on reading to learn more!

WHAT WENT ON IN THE MEETING ON MAY 5

The students at DBRANLU complained that none of their grievances were being addressed effectively. The students boycotted their classes in the last week of April and the Class Representatives of the batch of 2024, the senior-most batch, resigned stating that there was no effective communication on behalf of the college concerning the grievances of the students. Finally, when the university took note of it, a meeting was held with the students on May 5 to discuss the same.

The Vice-Chancellor noted that the students were required to have a more positive mindset. When the students asked for Institutional IDs, the Vice-Chancellor said that in today’s world, WhatsApp is also a formal way of communication since people use it more than emails and that the people at higher levels use it too. But later on, they agreed to give the students institutional IDs.

The students also complained that they have limited access to Manupatra and SCC Online which is not sufficient. The Vice-Chancellor responded that what is provided is sufficient for academic purposes and moot courts, etc. But the Vice-Chancellor also reminded that students were also not attending any of the special lectures and that they must participate more.

Till now, the University has provided students with the results of the first semester only. When students stressed that it is making their loan applications and internships difficult, the University questioned why they needed the results when they had ID cards. After stressing the importance of the results, the University held that they will try publishing the results soon.

One of the main concerns of the Students was that during the online exams, the answers got marked without choosing them. There were instances that after 5 minutes of starting the exam, the portal showed the exam status as completed. University consulted the technician who said that the portal worked fine, but on pushing the matter further, the University agreed to look into it.

The students further added that they needed better faculty. They said that they weren’t understanding what was being taught and that the teachers were without any particular specialization. This topic was discussed at length and the VC finally agreed to look into the matter herself.

The students then sought a written assurance on which the Registrar questioned whether the students also ask their parents to give them assurances in writing. He also added that the university believes in getting things done. He questioned the students if they believed in getting things done or if they wanted things in writing. The students then pointed out that both things aren’t exactly mutually exclusive. Finally, the students were given written assurance.

It’s a good thing that finally the University acknowledged the issues of the students and agreed to take measures regarding the same but this was just the tip of the iceberg! The students at DBRANLU have been other issues as well and it is indeed concerning. Keep on reading to know what these issues are.

OTHER PROBLEMS FACED BY THE STUDENTS

The students protested that there’s a lot of moral policing that goes on, on the campus. The University Rulebook makes it clear that the students must be dressed decently on and outside the campus. The girls have come to know of instances where their pictures have been clicked and informally reported if they were found wearing shorts. The Girls have been asked to dress properly. This also happens when a boy and a girl are found on campus together. Students also complained that girls and boys are treated in a different way when students want to go out of campus. As per the rules, the students have to get their parent's permission before going out of campus. However, boys are sometimes let without calling their parents but girls aren’t until their parents give a confirmation.

On 14th April 2021, the University celebrated 130 years of Ambedkar Jayanti and on 26th April 2021, there was a hawan and pooja organized by the university on the occasion of its inaugural ceremony. On both occasions, the University failed to follow the Covid-19 protocols. A picture on the internet made it evident that no one was wearing a mask or maintaining social distancing. The University also held a hawan last year to ward off Covid-19. Generally, public universities should abstain from such religious acts. And if they have to do it, they must do so inclusively. Eid-ul-Fitr, which is a Central and State holiday was also not given to the Students.

Moving on to the next issue, initially, the university had promised that it would give 4 options for languages– French, German, Hindi, and Sanskrit. The students were supposed to study another language from these options along with English. But the University canceled French and German, leaving the students with only Hindi and Sanskrit as options and those who haven’t studied the two languages at loss.

As mentioned earlier, one of the important issues discussed in the meeting was the issue of teaching faculty. In the meeting, the students voiced deep worry about their studies. They said that the college often adjusts the subjects to suitthe teachers and not the other way around. However, the college submitted that there’s an issue with hiring new faculty. The University told the students that a case is pendingin the P & H High Court, due to which permanent faculty hasn’t been hired yet. Once that is fixed, stable faculty will be hired.

New universities take time to develop, but they must do so while upholding a culture of honesty, openness, and listen to the needs of the student who are ultimately the most essential factor of any educational institution.

CONCLUSION

The meeting on May 5 ended with, “demands are endless, resources are limited…there is a proper channel to take things in the right direction”

As for now, we need to know that the University is taking steps to resolve the issues after the meeting like Grievance Redressal Cell related issues, Exam Cell, etc. The university made it known that they have taken necessary measures for online classes and that the faculty has verified credentials and is equipped to teach their subjects. The university said that these claims are baseless and that the University has received no such complaints. But the boycott, the resignation, and other things that have happened at the University make it evident there are certainly issues going on with the university. According to a source, the University has threatened to take legal action against the sources who go ahead with the story.

It is recommended that students avoid taking admission in lower-ranked NLUs because of two reasons – firstly, the placements at the lower-ranked NLUs have been dismal throughout the years, and secondly, they mostly fail to provide without good and efficient faculty. Now you might argue that NLUs like NLSIU took time to reach where it is now, but it should be noted that none of the new NLUs have shown much progress. Instead, students can opt for top colleges in their region or cities like Delhi or Mumbai.