Shabby Law Colleges & Low Standard Education Shows The Scenario Of Education System In Our Country – NV Ramana, J

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Recently Justice Ramana addressed a batch of fresh law graduates of (DSNLU) Damodar Sanjivayya National Law University.
• It was the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th convocation ceremony for law graduates held in DSNLU where the speaker Justice NV Ramana spoke at length about the education system of our country.
• He spoke that there is a worrying trend about the growing number of low-standard law colleges in our country and the judiciary is aiming to correct it.

INTRODUCTION

• Justice NV Ramana started his speech by telling a short story about the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Shri. Damodar Sanjivayya on how he was a man of virtue and a selfless politician.
• Further he spoke about his struggle as a law student back during his period and said that like many others he was a 1st generation law graduate in his family who came from a rural background.
• Comparing his period to this generation he said today law graduates are available with all the opportunities, a world full of information available at their fingertips also ample facilities and resources.
• He believes that law students should be social engineers because the law is an instrument of social change as said by him.

FURTHER DETAILS

• While addressing the law students he said that once upon a time law profession was considered to be a rich man's profession but now this is no more the case as it shows that there are about 1,500 law colleges and 1.5 lakh law graduates and this is startling.
• Justice Ramana said he feels that less than 25% of law graduates who come out of colleges are prepared for this profession and this shows there is an enormous amount of sub-standard colleges in our country which are just colleges for purpose of a name.
• He also blamed the flaring amount of cases pending in the court as one of the reasons behind mediocre legal education institutions which though makes a large number of advocates but still not apt for this profession.
• He said the law graduates are potential enough to bring transformation in the society and continued that law graduates should educate people of their rights also provide legal guidance.
• Justice NV Ramana quoted – ‘With strong determined efforts one can empower communities both globally and locally and your voice matters.’

JUSTICE RAMANA’S TAKE ON LEGAL EDUCATION SYSTEM

• Justice NV Ramana described the following views with regards to the educational system of our country:
• Education institutions must aim to prepare and train students to make them capable to contribute to nation-building and this obligation lies in the hands of both, the teachers as well as such institutions.
• But the current situation of the legal education system shows that it is not capable to build the virtue of a young student to compose the character of a young pupil to cultivate responsibility and social consciousness.
• He stressed the idea that a collective effort should be made to revamp our education policy as students are now indulged in the rat race and there should be quality over quantity.
• One must be aware of the challenges and the problems faced by society as law students will become future advocates and judges.
• A best legal education shall bridge the gap between theoretical and practical knowledge of court as bookish knowledge of the law is an incomplete understanding of the law.
• He advised that to get more exposure the law schools must expose the law students to clinical education through legal aid centres, arbitration and mediation centres, Lok adalats, etc.

CONCLUSION

Justice Ramana gave a piece of great advice to law graduates before concluding his speech and said a person must look at the society from where he or she has come from and the nation which has hopes from them. The symbol of a civilized individual is to give back to the community. One should enrich the dignity of our country and make the whole world and the future generations proud of your work.

There indeed are many sub-standard law colleges in our country that do not impart the proper legal education required for a person to come out as confident and well-prepared advocates for the future. It is also true as pointed out by Justice Ramana that barely less than 25% of law graduates are ready for this profession as many students opt for a law degree just for the sake of getting a degree in law. Not just mediocre law colleges should be held responsible but also the professors who are unable to give the right guidance to law students who intend to become lawyers or judges. Also, lack of exposure to clinical education in law apart from others contributes to a law student who only has theoretical knowledge and no idea of practical knowledge of courts.