BENGALURU: While the governing body of the Consortium of National Law Universities has allegedly warned of removing National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru from the consortium should it decide to stick to its decision of conducting its own examination, the university seems determinedly focussed on its preparations for its examination.Top officials from the university said they are focussed on the task at hand, which is to conduct the examination. The whole discussion about NLSIU’s membership in the consortium came about after the institute informed on September 3 about its decision to hold its own examination -- National Law Aptitude Test  (NLAT) – to avoid a zero year.

“On September 4, the Consortium of National Law Universities held a governing body meeting where the consortium requested NLSIU, Bengaluru to reconsider its decision to hold a separate examination, namely, NLAT. The consortium claimed that such an action was in violation of Clause 15.3.3 of the Consortium bye-laws and if NLSIU were to stick to its decision, it would be removed from the consortium,” said a note by the Registrar, Prof (Dr) Sarasu Esther Thomas, on Sunday.

TNIE learnt from NLSIU officials that although the consortium had issued a press release, there was no official communication to them about the resolutions of the meeting nor was there any communication responding to the presser that NLSIU had forwarded to them about the conduct of NLAT.

In the press release by Balraj Chauhan, Convener, CLAT-2020, available with TNIE, the governing body of the Consortium of National Law Universities met on September 5 and “unanimously reiterated its decision to hold the CLAT on September 28 as announced earlier. Except NLSIU, Bengaluru, no other Law University is going to hold its test independently as was erroneously reported on the social media.”
“To ensure the smooth conduct of CLAT-2020, and to avoid the conflict of interest, the governing board unanimously resolved to shift the Secretariat of the consortium to the NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad,” the note said.

The consortium unanimously resolved to divest Sudhir Krishnaswamy, Vice chancellor, NLSIU, of his functions as the Secretary-Treasurer of the consortium with immediate effect.Sudhir Krishnaswamy told TNIE, “It is important to complete the examination. We are focussed on it and will come back to the other questions in due course.”