‘MNLU Mumbai has a local-to-global approach; new campus in 2 years’: VC

Established in 2014 as the country's 18th National Law University (NLU), Maharashtra NLU, Mumbai, has emerged as one of the most sought-after legal education institutes in the country. The institute, however, is yet to get a permanent campus, thanks to the space crunch in the country's most populous city, and is still operating from the Centre for Excellence in Telecom Technology and Management (CETTM) building in Powai.

In this interaction with Careers360 , the MNLU Mumbai Vice Chancellor Dilip Ukey speaks about the university’s unique programmes, new courses in the pipeline, financial limitations at NLUs and more. Edited excerpts:

NLUs were established with an objective of improving standards of legal education in the country. How successful has this project been?

I think it has been fairly successful. Earlier, only traditional and orthodox subjects prescribed by the Bar Council of India were being offered at traditional university-affiliated law colleges.

NLUs made academic progress and flexibility possible, with courses in artificial intelligence (AI), marine law and the other new emerging areas being offered. They have also ensured a balance of quality and inclusivity through high-level filtering of the entrance exam, while having social and domicile reservations.

What has MNLU Mumbai achieved till date and in what aspects does it stand out in comparison to other NLUs and law colleges?

When the academic courses began in 2015 at MNLU Mumbai, we had BA LLB and regular LLM. But we realised that there was no point in offering what other colleges were offering. Hence, we decided to come out with some new courses.

At the peak of the Covid pandemic in 2020, we launched MA Mediation and Conflict Resolution – a one-of-its-kind programme, not only across India but the entire Asian continent.The same year we began an executive LLM programme so that working professionals could pursue their master's. We have people from different walks of life, including retired police officials, sitting judges and real estate developers, pursuing this course.

Mediation is an emerging field in law — be it family, real estate or consumer affairs. Instead of going to court, people opt for an alternate dispute resolution so that the courts are less burdened. We have been holding special programmes, with practical training for different professional groups. We are planning to start diploma courses on public health laws and environmental laws.

Being located in the financial capital of the country, we entered into an agreement with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to offer a special LLM in Investment and Securities Law. The course benefited from trainers from both SEBI and MNLU Mumbai, and achieved 100% placement. It was so popular that we received 450 applications for mere 50 seats. We started another LLM in Corporate Insolvency in collaboration with the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).

Such courses are not available anywhere else. With additional certificate courses in AI and cyber laws, the campus has become vibrant.

Do you have any interactions or engagement with other educational institutes?

Yes, we have a local-to-global approach. We run programmes and partnerships with other colleges that approach us. For example, we have a tie-up with the Savitribai Phule Pune University's law department. We also run a free legal aid service through the Rotary Club.

A Supreme Court (SC) study recently found that most legal aid clinics failed to assist any lawyer . Is yours active?

Yes, our students and faculty go to the Rotary Club centre every week, where they provide consultation in people's small disputes. We had also gone to tribal villages on the outskirts of the city, and submitted a report to the government on the challenges they face. We have also prepared guidelines for independent counsels working at the city Family Court.

What challenges have you encountered during this journey?

There are challenges for any new initiative. Ensuring every initiative reaches the targeted group is a challenge, so is finding experts in a domain and getting support from society and stakeholders. Everything takes time.

Earlier this year, MNLU Mumbai instituted a menstrual leave policy allowing female students one day leave per month, with a cap of five days per semester. How effective was it?

We implemented the policy without students having to ask for it. They were very surprised and asked how we came up with the idea. I explained to them that we also have daughters and are cognizant of their problems. We have added some guidelines to ensure that it's not misused. The girls were thankful and most of them avail of this facility.

The institute also has a spoken English programme for students hailing from marginalised sections and mofussil areas.

Many students hailing from rural areas, and even from cities, [face a] language barrier. We are training them to overcome that. In addition to formal training, we have also asked faculty to help them. I also urge students to improve their English skills by opting to write answer sheets in English, using dictionaries and conversing with and writing letters to each other.

The institute is yet to get a permanent campus, though the government has allotted it a 35-acre land parcel in Pahadi Goregaon village. What is the progress on that front?

Currently, the work of land levelling, fencing and road construction on the site is in progress. Simultaneiously, a technical committee formed at university level is finalising the architect for construction work, as we can't do anything without first making a plan.

The panel has so far reviewed the first round of presentations from potential architects and has shortlisted some of them. We hope to move into the first phase of the new campus within the next two years.

How do you manage to run the university at its current premises?

Space is inadequate as we have only a part of four floors of the building at our disposal. As a result, we are unable to start new programmes, including BBA LLB, for which we have already obtained permission. The space crunch is also inhibiting financial growth, as new programmes are also revenue sources.

We also had to shift the students' residences to a new property from their current hostel at the CETTM building due to constant issues of maintenance, hygiene and water supply. It's adding additional financial burden on the institute but we don't have any other option.

The domicile reservation at NLUs has always been a source of debate on campus. What are your thoughts on it?

The state has established the university and hence wants some preferential treatment to its students. We have to abide by what's mandated in the [establishing] Act. This is what inclusivity is all about. Some students who might have not been able to join the legal stream are able to do so thanks to this quota.

Speaking of inclusivity, a common criticism levelled against NLUs is its prohibitively high fees, which deprives many students the opportunity to study here.

Due to privatisation in education, many private universities have come up, which charge much higher fees. Still, students go there and pay their charges. If we are to do what we are doing, we need finances. And unlike state universities, we receive limited grants. There are expenses to be met if one wants quality, infrastructure and standards. Besides, our fees are not as exorbitant as those of private institutes.

What can NLUs do to shore up their revenue? Should the government hike its funds?

The courses can be a revenue source, in addition to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) donations. We have some donors who sponsor moot court and other events. The government has increased our grants to some extent this year.