The students of Dharmashastra National Law University (DNLU) have sent a representation to all the concerned authorities for the construction of permanent campus of their education institution, which has not been constructed even after three years of its eshtablishment.

The university was established in the year 2018 and was inaugurated by the Chief Minister- Mr. Shivraj Singh Chauhan and the former Chief Justice of India Shri. Dipak Misra. After the establishment of the university, it was allocated 125 acres by the State government. However, its been three years and the construction of the building has not been initiated yet.

Their university is currently functioning from the rented campus of BSNL and it is the claim of the students that the functioning of the university from the rented campus is adversely affecting the proper functioning and the growth of the university.

Through an order dated 23.09.2020 the State government has allocated 99.85 crores for the first phase of construction of the university campus which included boys hostel, girls hostel and academic block. However, even after 5 months of such allocation, the construction of the university campus has not been initiated.

Following are some of the points highlighted in the letter, which throw light on the plight of these students:

This to also bring to your kind attention that the university is currently functioning from a rented campus of BSNL situated at Ridge Road, south civil lines, Jabalpur. Each year Rupee 6 crores are being charged by the BSNL authorities from the University and since the university has been provided with limited grant by the state government, the university has to levy high fees on the students because of which each student is paying 2.05 lakh rupees per year in the form of fees.

The University each year generates a revenue of 9 crores out of which 5 crores are generated by the grant from the State government and rest of the amount is generated by the fees of the students, after paying 6 crores of Rent, the university is left with only 3 crores to pay all the faculties, administrative staff and ground staff. Therefore, the university is left with insufficient or no funds to actually cater even the basic needs of the students. (A copy of the revenue record of the university is enclosed as ANNEXURE – 3).

The students of DNLU have unlike any other National Law University have paid the hostel fees, since we do not have any permanent campus and the rent has to be paid to the BSNL. The State government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University dated 05.04.2019 to pay at least the rent of the university directly to concerned authority, however no such disbursement has taken place. A copy of the MoU is enclosed as ANNEXURE – 4.

That the university is under grave financial insecurity, which is ultimately burdening the students of the University, who are being provided with sub-standard facilities even after paying sky high fees. The conditions have worsened to the point that the current capacity of the University in the rented campus to accommodate students is only 250 students and currently there are more than 360 students enrolled in the University.

The university in next 2 months is going to induct next batch of students further raising the number of enrolled students to 480, the university has no infrastructure to accommodate them.

The Hon’ble Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, who is also the Hon’ble Chancellor of the University in the General Council Meeting dated 20.07.2020 remarked that this University doesn’t seems like a university, also acknowledged the fact that present premise of the University is SUB-STANDARD. (A copy of the general council meeting is enclosed as ANNEXURE – 5)

Even the Jharkhand High Court in a writ petition filed by the State Bar Council of Jharkhand in context of NUSRL Ranchi, held that the state is duty bound to provide the Law Universities with adequate funding and the administration can’t be forced to go door to door for asking funds. The University has students from almost 28 States of India and such deprivation and discrimination from the State government for DNLU, Jabalpur is derogating the reputation of Madhya Pradesh, especially Jabalpur in the eyes of the whole nation.”

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