"I have proof of instigation": Under-fire NUJS Vice-Chancellor Prof NK Chakrabarti

Prof NK Chakrabarti is the Vice-Chancellor of West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS). He has been a teacher of law for three decades and was previously the director at KIIT Law School.

Prof Chakrabarti is leading the law school through tumultuous times, as NUJS students call for his ouster before his impending retirement.

The Supreme Court recently dismissed allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by a faculty member on the ground of limitation. However, it directed that the allegations be permanently recorded in his resume. Prof Chakrabarti reveals that he plans to file a review petition against this verdict.

In this interview with Bar & Bench's Hiranya Bhandarkar, he responds to the student protests against him, shares his perspective on mental health in law schools and more.

Edited excerpts follow.

Hiranya Bhandarkar (HB): How has NUJS evolved academically and institutionally under your leadership? 

Prof Nirmal Kanti Chakrabarti (NKC): During the past 6 years, my vision was to make NUJS a multi-disciplinary law school...It was inter-disciplinary in one sense in the beginning with social sciences, but I made it with other disciplines also like forensic sciences, technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) also being included in all undergraduate, postgraduate courses. We have started Technology Law as an LL.M. specialisation course. We also introduced a two-year LL.M. on Data Science and Data Protection Law. Just this year, we started Criminology and Criminal Justice Science.

HB: There is a perception that law schools overly rely on young, inexperienced faculty to cut costs. What’s your response to that?

NKC: I think it is not true for NUJS. If we take our present faculty structure, we now have 12 professors. The oldest started their career here in 2001. The attrition is very low. During my 6 years, only 3 teachers left, but we have inducted close to 15 or 20 teachers.

To keep faculty, there should be some policies. They are given the facilities, the freedom, the autonomy, so they are enjoying the institution, teaching the students and also other facilities we are giving. I think we are the first law university giving grants not only to our teachers, but externally also. To name the external law universities - Hindi University, IIT Kharagpur, IISER Kolkata which are technology universities with law programmes. They are coming here to learn for 2 to 3 years. Law schools should not be isolated, they should connect with IITs, IISER and Jadavpur University...Every year, few alumni leave the country, and we have to make them practice-ready so this way we have to definitely develop our pedagogy, curriculum and ecosystem where everyone can grow.

HB: Mental health among law students has become a growing concern. How is NUJS supporting student well-being?

NKC: When students leave schools and come to university, there is a change of atmosphere - their surroundings, their peer groups and they will face lot of problems. I think we have a tutor-mentor system here. Usually, I get mails from parents, wardens, or sometimes the students on being unable to cope with the standard of our university’s teaching or examination. This way, on two or three occasions, I have met the students, allowed them to express one-to-one or to a few teachers whom they have confidence in. This system of free access is very helpful, and problems are easily handled if we can give access.

We have a counsellor, coming from 5-6. Besides that, we have online online counselling that students can access from their hostel rooms. We create many avenues of extra-curricular activities - some are learning a foreign language, some are going to cultural programmes, some are going to the gym, some are writing. We have two student-run journals, and there is sports. There are 15 or 16 student bodies and then if we get more and more students to engage in these after-class activities, mentally I think growth and their recreation would be required in this age.

One may love films, our film club has a special facility of a mini auditorium. In the evening, they select a film from evening 6 or 7 to 9, 9:30. It is not that by 5 or 6, we will close their minds...we have the library open everyday until 2:00 AM; during examinations, it becomes 24x7.

If we keep the minds of the students busy, then I think it has minimum effects on their mental stress.

HB: You have faced some serious allegations during your tenure. How do you see these controversies impacting the reputation and academic standing of WBNUJS?

NKC: My response is that if there is a dispute, some students filed writ petitions, sometimes there is litigation on admission. Another thing I can inform you about a long pending case of iPleaders online cases, they have changed their name to LawSikho. Ultimately, we ourselves completed the course for all those who were admitted, without any help of the online partner, so that will settle that dispute. 

In most cases, I can say that we have now disposed of all the cases against the University. If required, if it is possible mediation. Judges also in particularly educational institutions pay attention to how it can be resolved quickly. In my tenure, there was a case regarding an admission that was resolved this year. There are cases on income tax that were also resolved 2-3 years back. At present, I can tell you that all the cases are resolved. 

The attitude should be how to resolve, not to linger.

HB: How do you respond to the students’ demand for your resignation in light of the sexual harassment allegations?

Editor's note: This interview was carried out in the first week of September, before the students went on protest. These questions have been added in light of the protests.

NKC: On September 20, there was a General Council meeting of (Supreme Court judge) Justice Dipankar Datta and other members. They raised an issue and it was clarified categorically that the Vice-Chancellor is submitting a review petition (against the Supreme Court order) which is yet to be decided so it is premature to do anything. That's why they accepted that view and thereafter they left. I categorically told I will not resign because Supreme Court has not given me any opportunity and there is actually no trial or investigation. It is not a conviction, it is an observation which I am seeing as obiter dicta; I am not going by that. Full night, myself and some seven or eight teachers were there, so I told I will not resign or anything.

HB: How will you address other concerns that were raised, ranging from financial transparency to campus safety?

NKC: All the things have been approved by the Finance Committee and auditing is being done and that is approved by Executive Council. I think it is unnecessary instigation...there are no such financial irregularities...

Campus safety, what they are saying? Am I a danger to the campus? I have been here more than 6 years. Our whole administration is there. It is not that I am the person to guarantee campus safety.

HB: Students continue to protest by wearing black bands and standing silently in class.

NKC: Justice Datta was saying that he has come here many times over the last year, yet the student community never raised these issues. After the Supreme Court judgment, suddenly you are bringing this, why not bring notice to me earlier if it is there earlier also? Reply to that. Actually these are instigations and I have the proof of the instigation. When required, I will prove that how students instigated; that communication is with me. That in a proper place I will give it, who instigated, how instigated things are there.

HB: How do you plan to answer the students' 47-point demand list?

NKC: Not 47, 65...It was decided that among the 65, there were few pending matters to be decided by the Accounts Registrar, few are with the Registrar. Hostels repairing etc is not the Vice-Chancellor's function to do. We divide what are the things Registrar's office has to do, what are the things campus officer has to do, what are the things with accounts officer pending. It is not that the Vice-Chancellor alone is doing all the things in the University. 3-4 (points) I already solved the problem, talked to them. Others, I will see how the things can be divided and how can action be taken delegating who is to do what.

HB: Any comment on that ultimatum to resign? What is the status of the Search Committee set up to find a new VC?

NKC: The Search Committee (for a new VC) was constituted in June and one meeting is already done...they will recommend to the Chief Justice the panel of three names for appointment...then accordingly it will come to the Executive Council, they will recommend. Maybe another one month or so, depending on how long the Chief Justice office will take. Maybe by November or next year. Then, definitely as per Act I have to hand over (since he has reached the maximum age of 70). I will not deviate from that. I will hand over to the next VC, no question on this.

HB: Is there going to be a convocation held at NUJS this year?

NKC: Yes yes, now I got the letter from the present CJI. He has not had the time to come. He has authorised Justice Surya Kant to conduct the convocation. I had a talk with Justice Surya Kant. He said that by September, he will give the date, so we are waiting for the date.

HB: Do you think perceptions of elitism in legal education, particularly concerning fee structures and access to resources, are fair or misplaced?

NKC: I think this is not the full truth. For example, in NUJS we have 60 lakh rupees for merit-cum-means scholarship every year. A waiver of tuition fee is given to those who are economically weak, who have below ₹8 lakh per annum family income. Besides the SC/ST Government of India Scholarship, we have in our State Vivekananda Scholarship, where an annual support of up to ₹20-25,000 is given...Some alumni also give support; two students get support from alumni...There is an organisation, IDIA, they are coordinating with us to make some programs on how to prepare/appear for CLAT.