Bengaluru: Students of the premier National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in Bengaluru have got their way with a senior professor of 27 years experience reportedly apologising to a female student he had pulled up for wearing shorts to class. The third year B.A. LLB (Hons) student was wearing shorts like many other students on campus, when professor V. Nagaraj took objection to her style of dressing. The entire class wore shorts the next day in protest.
The issue was resolved by Vice Chancellor, Prof (Dr.) R. Venkat Rao in his chambers on Sunday after a meeting with the professor concerned, his class students and office bearers of the Student Bar Association. Although it was claimed that the matter was amicably resolved without the professor having to tender an apology, a student of third year B.A. LLB (Hons) said he had not only apologised to the student in question, but also requested her and other students to keep the apology quiet. “All we wanted was an apology from the professor, and we got it. So we have ended our protest. We have also asked the Vice Chancellor that Prof. Nagaraj should not teach our batch in future,” said another student.
The students said they were upset to learn that Prof. Nagaraj had claimed after the meeting at the VC’s office that he had not apologised and had himself decided not to teach the third year B.A. L.L.B. (Hons) students anymore.
The Bar Council of India in a letter dated April 7, sent to registrars and principals of all law colleges and universities, said it has taken note of the “standard of dressing” of law students and recommended a dress code that “befits the profession”.
“There is no question of bringing in a dress code at our university. We have been dressing the way we want from the beginning and if any changes are made as a result of this issue, there will be a bigger furore and the management knows this,” said another student. Meanwhile, professor Nagaraj is said to have been missing from a faculty board meeting held on Monday by the management of the NLSIU to discuss various issues concerning the university. But the controversy he was involved in did not come up for discussion, according to sources.
