NALSAR Student Body Urges Chancellor To Re-Appoint Prof. Faizan Mustafa As Vice-Chancellor
The student body of NALSAR Hyderabad has written to its Chancellor, Justice Ujjal Bhuyan to consider the reappointment of Prof. (Dr.) Faizan Mustafa as the Vice-Chancellor of the University, who demitted office on 30 July, 2022. The representation has been sent in addition to, and complements, the representation made on 27 April, 2022 to the members of Search-cum-Selection Committee, constituted under Section 17(1)(iii) of the NALSAR Act, 1998.
The representation, which has been signed by 582 out of 885 (more than 65% of the entire student body) full-time students at NALSAR, highlights the various contributions and initiatives undertaken by Prof. Mustafa which benefited the University and its students:
"The second term of Prof. Mustafa's Vice-Chancellorship ended on 30 July, 2022. Under his administration over the past decade, our University has grown tremendously in all aspects- academic quality, including research output, talent attraction among both, students and teaching faculty, and overall reputation. We, the students, especially appreciate the accommodative steps that Prof. Mustafa undertook during the COVID-19 pandemic. His approach of engaging in deliberative discussions with the students as the primary stakeholders has created an inclusive and democratic campus. A prime example of this is the establishment of the NALSAR Accessibility Lab on the 28th of July 2022 for disabled persons in the student body."
The student body has also underlined certain concerns around the selection process of the Vice-Chancellor in light of incidents, which have surfaced recently.
"We wish to bring to your attention a few troubling incidents that we have witnessed in the recent past. Lately, we have been witnessing the publication of a few media reports that express an inclination for the Vice-Chancellor with roots in Telangana, to augment local representation. With all due respect, while we have absolutely no objection to having a Vice-Chancellor who belongs to Telangana, however the appointment of a Vice-Chancellor keeping their domicile as a primary or a significant consideration is against the spirit of the institution and the NALSAR Act which established it. The Act envisions the creation of a national legal institution in its letter and in spirit. In light of the same, it is respectfully stated that such territorial contemplations should not form the basis of any decision in selecting the Vice-Chancellor of our University."
It should be noted that this is a general student body representation, which has not been endorsed by the Student Bar Council at NALSAR, unlike the representation dated 27 April 2022.