 "SUPREME COURT")
The parent of a student and a former vice-chancellor of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, have moved the Supreme Court against a notice to conduct a separate entrance exam for the university.
The petitioners have termed this move to conduct a separate exam as an "illegal decision".
Former NLSIU VC R. Venkata Rao and Rakesh Kumar Agarwalla, the parent of a student of the university, said that such unilateral decision to hold the National Law Aptitude Test (NLAT) as entrance exam to the university was taken without any application of mind, thereby completely prejudicing the students at the final hour besides putting their career at jeopardy for purely whimsical reasons.
The plea filed through advocate Vipin Nair said, "Ostensibly, it appears that the sole aim of Respondent No. 2 (vice-chancellor Sudhir Krishnaswamy) is to turn Respondent No. 1 (NLSIU) from an island of excellence to an island of exclusion."
The plea contended that this action by NLSIU has created an unprecedented uncertainty. "It is apparent that the aforesaid measures undertaken by Respondent No. 2 is solely directed at creating an elitist institution which caters to those who are able to afford to take the test and have the luxury to fulfil the other absurd conditions, while completely ignoring the aspirations of the poor, marginalised and less privileged candidates," said the plea.
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The petitioners have urged the top court to quash the notification for admission to the five-year integrated BA, LLB (Hons) programme, 2020-21, read with the press release on NLSIU admissions 2020-21 dated September 4, 2020.
The plea contended that this decision of the university is in direct violation of the fundamental rights of the students who desire admission, especially during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the consortium of national law universities had on April 21 extended the deadline for online applications for CLAT 2020 until May 18, and after that the examination was postponed several times due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The sudden and capricious decision of the NLSIU has not only thrown the aspirants of CLAT 2020 into frenzy and in a state of fear and confusion, it has also severely jeopardised the position of the university in the consortium. Due to the whimsical conduct of the university, the children are put to extreme pressure and mental stress," the plea said.
--IANS
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