NUJS ex-VC Mahendra Pal Singh passes away at 85

Kolkata: Former vice-chancellor of West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS) and a "doyen in the field of constitutional law", Mahendra Pal Singh, passed away on Saturday. He was 85 years old.Singh served as WBNUJS VC from 2006 to 2011.
"Prof Singh was a true visionary under whose towering leadership NUJS reached unprecedented heights of national and international fame and recognition. It was during his tenure as the vice-chancellor that NUJS became well known as an institution producing superlative degrees of cutting-edge research and scholarship," read the condolence message on the university website."The NUJS Law Review bears testimony to the scholastic foresightedness of Prof Singh. Prof Singh was an epitome of empathy and an embodiment of democratic ethos. His relationship with NUJS continued to remain as strong as ever years after demitting office," it read.Dean of alumni affairs, outreach and communication, Shameek Sen, termed Singh's passing a "terrible loss"."Under MP Singh's leadership, the university underwent a shift from a teaching-focused institution to a premier research institution. He was the mentor and founder of the premier NUJS law journal, the NUJS Law Review," Sen said."He fostered numerous international partnerships, bringing researchers from countries like Germany to the university. He also brought in world-class scholars and faculty members, including names like Shamnad Basheer and Sudhir Krishnaswamy, to the institution. Throughout his life, he was a motivator, thinker and academic mentor," Sen added.NUJS VC Nandimath Omprakash V said, "Prof Singh was one of the greatest and renowned legal academicians globally known. He is remembered and missed ever by the NUJS community. He re-emphasised the research culture at NUJS established by Prof Chimni (the second VC of WBNUJS). This made NUJS a renowned NLU of the country."Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Women's day wishes, messages and quotes !