NLS Bengaluru Students Boycott Semester Exams In Protest

The Students Bar Association demands that the new Vice Chancellor be appointed as per norms without further delay.

Many students of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in Bengaluru boycotted their end trimester exams on Monday, continuing their protest against the existing ad-hoc administration. The end trimester exams will be held until 27 September. According to sources, around 15 students sat for the exams which started at 10am on Monday, 23 September, and was set to conclude at 1 pm. Students that TNM spoke to claimed that, those who wrote the exam had either backlogs or no other option as they would lose a year if they didn’t appear in the exams.

We’re boycotting the exams because the members of the admin are trying to stop the due process of law from taking its natural course.

Hamza Traiq, Student Bar Association President

The students as a part of the protest, formed human chains sitting on the floor across the corridors and staircase of the academic block.

TNM had earlier reported that the exam boycott was planned by the Student Bar Association (SBA) as part of the ongoing protest. While protests have been going on for a week, students have been boycotting classes since Friday and Saturday.

The students have been voicing their dissent for over a week against the inordinate delay in the appointment of a full-time Vice-Chancellor (V-C). The position fell vacant after the previous Vice-Chancellor R Venkata Rao completed his term of 10 years on 31 July. His successor was named on August 2 following due procedure. Students allege that the present registrar OV Nandimath who was one of the applicants for the V-C post and is a vital part of the existing framework is acting in vested interest to stall the process.

The students have also been protesting against some of the decisions taken by the current administration which they term ‘anti-students’. Recently the students were told that the academic block will be shut at 10 pm opposed to earlier when it was open 24x7.
The current administration has also allegedly tried to reduce the budgets of institutionally-run student bodies which organise seminars and conferences, the students said.

Until now, facilities like accommodation for judges and other legal luminaries were borne by the university, the administration now wants to charge the student bodies for the same.

Student, NLS Bengaluru

(Published in arrangement with The News Minute.)