KSLU move to bar other law degrees flayed

The circular issued by the Karnataka State Law University (KSLU) that affiliated colleges should not appoint as teaching staff those acquiring post graduate degree in law (LLM) after 2011, through distance education/correspondence course or any university/institute/centre in Karnataka not affiliated to it, is likely to affect hundreds of PG degree holders.

With this move, post graduates from several universities in the State other than those from KSLU and the National Law School of India University will be in jeopardy.

Withdraw services

Lolaksha, working president of Ahinda, told reporters on Sunday that according to the circular, if any affiliated college had already appointed such candidates for teaching law, then their services should be withdrawn.

“We will appeal to the Governor that the circular should not be implemented. It has violated the fundamental rights guaranteed to every citizen by the Constitution,” Lolaksha said.

He said the circular should have been issued before the admission process began in 2009, to safeguard the interests of students.

‘Not recognised’

“The KSLU and the degrees awarded by it are yet to be recognised by statutory bodies such as the Bar Council of India and the University Grants Commission.

If only the KSLU post graduates are to be accepted, the university should have held a convocation and awarded degrees to its students. So far, it has not held any convocation and none of the LLM degree holders have been issued the certificates,” Lolaksha  said.
 
He sought to know how many LLM holders from KSLU had cleared the NET exam, to be eligible for teaching. The KSLU also needed to clarify what would be the fate of LLM degree-holders from other universities, post-2011, and those of them who passed the NET exam after 2011.

The universities of Bangalore, Gulbarga and Mysore are among those that offer LLM courses.

“About 50 per cent of the LLM students in these universities belong to the SC/ST and OBC categories. If the circular is implemented, there will be irreparable damage to the lives of hundreds of post-graduates,” Lolaksha said. He urged the Governor to intervene and help the students.