Pune University plans to establish a National Law School in the city

Pune Mirror: While the state government’s ambitious plan of a national law university is yet to be realised, the University of Pune (UoP) has gone ahead with its plans to establish a National Law School (NLS) in the city. The proposed NLS is planned to open from the new academic year onwards.

Pune’s NLS will be established along the lines of the existing nine NLS in the country, all of which have been set up by the respective state governments under specific legislations passed by the states. The state governments also put in the seed money for the respective institutions.

Apart from announcement of the different locations for the university, there has been no finalisation on the Maharashtra government’s plans.

“Maharashtra government has been planning a National Law School in the state since 2003. The government had even formed two comittes to track the possibility of making a bill. Both the comittees had submitted their draft bills along with their views. But it was never been tabled before the house,” informed  Adv. Dr. Sureshchandra Bhosale, dean of Law faculty of UoP.

He further informed that UoP had taken the initiative in 2006-07 to establish a high standard law school. “The ordinance regarding UoP’s NLS is ready and we can start the courses from coming academic year, provided the infrastructure is ready,” he added.

Lawful activity

NLS to start in July

The building for NLS is being developed on a four-acre land opposite the UoP’s department of management sciences (PUMBA). According to the executive engineer of UoP Rajendra Patil, it will take another five months to complete. “Classes can be started in the building from July onwards,” informed Patil.

Composite Course

The NLS will offer a composite course different than the existing syllabi. Every student will be expected to focus on his/her own research. A five year course will be offered after higher secondary school examination

Common Entrance

The National Law universities have decided to have a Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) from this year on. The same test could be held for UoP’s NLS. “According to ordinance, we have planned an entrance test for the candidates, as the intake capacity is just 40. We are focusing more on high standards and quality teaching at the NLS. We can provide world class accomodation, connectivity, high tech library to students,” UoP’s dean of law, Bhosale said

Aiming for the best

While briefing about the aim of the NLS, Bhosle said, “There are 23 law colleges under UoP. However, NLS will offer a different kind of curriculum to students, as its academic autonomy is being granted. We want to create a brigade of highly skilled and efficient lawyers who will speed up the legal proceedings. We want our students to work for the better of Indian judiciary, unlike other national law universities whose students prefer the lucrative
corporate field”

Existing NLS

1 National Law School of India, Bangalore
2 National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata,
3 Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar.
4 Chanakya National Law University, Patna.
5 National Law School, Delhi.
6 National Academy of Legal Studies and Research, Hyderabad
7 Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur
8 National Law University, Jodhpur
9 National Law Institute University, Bhopal

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