Plea against DU over LLM course

DU yet to start 1-yr course

Delhi University’s twoyear full-time LLM course is facing the heat from the final year LLB students Mohit Kumar Gupta, Vikas Bhaskar and Faculty of Law alumni Shashi.

A writ petition challenging the alleged misuse of administrative discretion by the Law Faculty and university has been filed in the Delhi high court by them, praying that the DU should be directed to introduce the one year LLM degree programme as per UGC guidelines 2013 from upcoming academic session.

“Much to the credence of the issue under consideration, the court has been pleased to issue a notice to the university to file its response evenin absence of the petitioners during the hearing due to the ongoing LLB exams,” Mr Gupta said.

The genesis of the grievance of LLB students lies in the fact that the UGC on recommendations of its expert committee had laid down and duly notified the guidelines for and approved the introduction of one year LLM degree programme, while retaining the option of running two years LLM degree programme as per earlier 2003 regulations.

Mr Bhaskar maintained that acting on the said guidelines, DU through its Executive Council on June 26, 2015 made amendments to all relevant ordinances of the university regarding LLM degree course (1, 2 and 3 year) and issued detailed guidelines, in particular about one year LLM degree eligibility criteria, syllabi and the course structure.

“The grave problem still persists in respect of deliberate policy paralysis with the doubtful inclination of the varsity vice-chancellor Prof. Yogesh Tyagi, erstwhile law faculty dean at South Asian University, to continue with the old two years LLM programme, as the latter university under his leadership continued with the old 2 year LLM course. DU has also not started with the one year LLM course,” Ms Shashi, who helped in drafting of the petition, said. However, the students claimed they are made to waste one essential year due to this.