Thirteen students studying in various law colleges in Aurangabad have approached the Bombay high court seeking implementation of the Maharashtra National University (NLU) Act, 2014 to be established in Aurangabad.
When the matter came up for hearing on Wednesday, government pleader Amarjeet Singh Girase pointed out to the court that the government has on Wednesday itself put up an advertisement in newspapers for the post of vice chancellor for the National Law University at Aurangabad. Following this, the bench comprising Justice S S Shinde and Justice P R Bora adjourned the matter to Thursday, said Girase.
The students have approached the court through lawyer Satish B Talekar stating that if the NLU had been established at Aurangabad in June 2012 as per the undertaking made by the then chief minister, minister for higher and technical education, the principal secretary of law and judiciary department and the principal secretary of higher and technical education department, owing to the regional reservation, they would have certainly had a reasonable opportunity to be considered for admission in NLU at Aurangabad.
Petitioners argued that they have been deprived of the opportunity to receive NLU education owing to the callous attitude of the state in not establishing the NLU at Aurangabad.
The petition pointed out to the court that the government had advertised two post of Vice-chancellor of NLUs at Mumbai and Aurangabad. Several candidates, who had applied for the post, were interviewed and ultimately three names were recommended to the Chief Justice of India by the search committee constituted for the purpose. The then Chief Justice of India R M Lodha appointed Dr B P Panda as VC of NLU at Mumbai however, no appointment has been made for NLU at Aurangabad.
Talekar said “Pursuant to the decision taken in the Chief Justices conference on Legal Education and Training (1994) and the all India Law Ministers Conference (1995), the council of ministers of Maharashtra had decided to establish NLU at Aurangabad in its meeting held on 03.05.2007, which was again reiterated in the meeting of the Council of Minister held on 26.08.2009. The government had taken this decision following consistent efforts of the Advocates Association of Bombay high court bench at Aurangabad and the Lawyers Forum for Litigating Public and General Utility Aurangabad.”
“Apprehending political influence in change of location of the proposed NLU, the Lawyers Forum for Litigating Public and General Utility Aurangabad, through its president had filed a petition seeking implementation of the decision of the council of ministers to establish NLU at Aurangabad. The government of Maharashtra had submitted an affidavit in reply in the high court stating that the budgetary allocation had already been made, 50 acre land was acquired at Karodi and the courses at NLU, Aurangabad would be commenced from the academic year 2012-13,” petition said.
However, the government did not keep its word and on the contrary, it decided to establish three National Law Universities one each at Aurangabad, Mumbai and Nagpur under the Maharashtra National University Act, 2014, the petition said.
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