Law varsity may get Ambedkar auditorium back

LUCKNOW: Ram Manohar National Law University (RMNLU) might soon get back the possession of Ambedkar auditorium on campus and even have a separate corpus fund set aside for its maintenance. The assurance came from chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday at the second convocation of the university.
“We are among those who connect and bring things together. The auditorium was meant to be a part of your university so we can get back the auditorium for you again,” he said, telling the audience about how he had recently, on request of the vice chancellor of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), decided to include Ramabai park within BBAU.
He added that while maintenance was a big task, he would arrange for a corpus fund to keep the auditorium in the best of conditions. As the students cheered and muttered while the CM spoke, he was quick to remark, “I am listening to what you are saying. Mujhe toh darr nahi lagta par bua ka toh darr sabko hona chahiye (I am not scared, but everyone should be scared of the aunt),” referring to how the auditorium land was part of the university space till in 2012 Mayawati built the structure and named it after Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar. The Lucknow Development Authority is currently in possession of the massive building that has a capacity of 3,200 persons.
While on demands, vice chancellor Prof Gurdip SIngh put forth his list that included modification of the gymnasium and digitization of the library. “Our gym is in a bad shape and needs to be developed for the benefit of students like our commonwealth games' swimmer Garima Kapoor and Arif Mohammad who has brought laurels to the university,” he said. The university has a Rs 4 crore proposal for the digitization of its library to meet international standards.
MANY NEW COURTS TO COME UP
Lucknow: Under the plan for district judiciary, which recently got the state government's approval, 490 new courts, including 238 fast track courts, 38 district courts and 113 gram nyayalayas, will be set up. By the end of 2017, the state will have close to 2,800 judges serving at various levels of state judiciary to ease out the pendency of cases. The plan was announced by Chief Justice of Allahabad HC Justice DY Chandrachud at the event. “We have started the process of land identification in each of the 75 districts where new court buildings will be set up with all modern facilities,” he said.
Supreme Court judge, Justice TS Thakur, who was awarded Doctor of Law Honoris Causa, shared his father’s journey from rural J&K to the Lucknow University's law faculty. Breaking down, he said, “His days of struggle in Lucknow left an indelible mark even on me. He spoke highly of the Lucknow culture where even taunts and abuses sound beautiful to one's ears.”
THIS DRESS FAILED TO IMPRESS
LUCKNOW: One by one the girls climbed onto the stage at the second convocation of Ram Manohar Lohia National law University (RMNLU), bagging most of the medals at the event. It wasn’t just their presence but their dissatisfaction with the new convocation attire that was obvious. Trying to hold on to the maroon saffas (turbans) that all graduating students had to wear over monochrome trouser and shirt combination or salwar suit option for girls, the medalists felt nothing close to what the university wanted to portray with traditional Indian attires.
“It’s good that they wanted to do away with the British robes but this is a mismatch,” said Ayushi Verma, who bagged the maximum gold medals, four in number, for her BALLB Hons (2009-14 batch).
Criticizing the university's move of including a ‘pseudo traditional attire’, Nayan Jain who bagged the KK Luthra Memorial Advocate Gold Medal for Moot of the Year (2010-15) said, “They should at least have taken our view. I cannot think of any place in India where women wear saffas.”
The new attire failed to impress Nityanand Rai, who won the gold medal in post graduate diploma in cyber law (PGDCL). He said, “This turban looks like it’s from a marriage ceremony when the attire should have been more scholarly.” Rai is currently posted as the Additional Superintendent Police in Hardoi.
WITH MOST MEDALS, GIRLS OUTSHINES BOYS
Of the 27 medals awarded at the convocation, 20 were bagged by girl students who outshone boys at the convocation.
“Girls have fared better and it is a good sign of gender equality. When I first distributed laptops, the number of girls had been high,” said CM Akhilesh Yadav.
Most students had a leaning towards corporate sector but gold medalists for BA LLB (Hons) Ayushi Verma (2009-14) and Rupali Yadav (2010-15), who received four medals each, were preparing for judiciary and civil services, respectively.
Akash Prajapati, who won a silver for LLM (2013-15) will go for litigation even when it would difficult for the boy who comes from a weaker economic background. “My father’s business is not doing well but I will struggle to get in mainstream law,” he said.
“People want to update everything on social media. If they go to the gym, they will update it too. So upgrading the gym has become necessary. We would also look into the digitization of the library as internet is the future,” spoke the CM. Congratulating the graduating students and medal winners, the CM said the biggest expectation that both the government and judiciary have is from the poor. “When we both will work together, democracy will achieve new heights and the poor will get quicker justice,” he said.