DSNLU students on indefinite strike against Government Order seeking establishment of “NALSAR type” law university

An innocuous looking Government Order dated July 30, 2014 has become the very center of controversy at the Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University, Vishakapatnam. The order, signed by Law Secretary (in-charge) T. Narayana Reddy, states that the government has decided to establish a “NALSAR” type Law University in the newly formed state..Effectively, the order completely ignores the existence of DSNLU, a national law university that was formed along similar lines as NALSAR University roughly five years ago. Initially called the Andhra Pradesh University of Law, it was set up by the YSR-led Congress government through an ordinance in 2008, with branches in Kadapa and Nizamabad. In 2012, it was renamed the Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University, and following the creation of Telangana, became the only national law university in Andhra Pradesh..The government order though, indicates otherwise. If the order is implemented, this would mean that the State’s resources would be channeled to the new institute, with little left for the existing university. This is the chief complaint of the students, who have been on strike for the past six days..Ayush Jaiswal, one of the students coordinating the strike, says that the student’s demands are very simple..What we say is, make the required changes to the statute (DSNLU Act) and develop this institute first, then establish a new one. We don’t have any issues even if they rename, change the location or merge both the institutes. If they straight-away come up with a new one, the focus would shift on the new NLU and we would keep on struggling..Speaking to Bar & Bench, DSNLU’s Vice Chancellor said that a national law university cannot be set up on the basis of a government order alone, and that it would be far more prudent to wait for greater clarity in the newly formed government. He also said that Andhra Pradesh does not have a Law Secretary as yet (the current is acting as in-charge) and that the new state will take some time to set up the administration..Meanwhile, the students were addressed by Dr. Lakshminath, the Chancellor of DSNLU and current Vice Chancellor of CNLU in Patna, in an attempt to resolve the issues raised. However, as per students who were present, Dr. Lakshminath was unable to provide any answers as to why DSNLU was not being admitted into the CLAT; or rather why DSNLU had to fulfill certain criteria which other law schools were not made to do.