ASSOCIATIONS & CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITES

The co-curricular activities of the university is regulated and overseen by the various committees, which are in existence. The following committees handle the main co-curricular activities taking place in the university. All the committees are run by students with a faculty in-charge. They have their own constitution and the students have been given the independence to formulate the working mode of these committee. The Moot Court Association (MCA) Moot court competitions have today become an integral part of a law student's life. Introduced as a part of the clinical legal education programme in an attempt to bridge the gap between the practice and teaching of law, moot court competitions have developed from being a mandatory course requirement into a fun-filled and refreshing mode of instruction. The value of such competitions in teaching a law student the skills of advocacy need hardly be emphasised. Suffice it to say that moot courts expose the students to the rigours of courtroom practice in a manner that the classroom can never achieve. The success of moot court competitions prompted the introduction of client counselling competitions to broaden the ambit of clinical legal education. Though it would be incorrect to state that clinical legal education is limited to only these two types of activities, it can safely be asserted that they are the most effective simply because of the unparalleled manner in which they have managed to ignite the imagination and fuel the passion of law students countrywide. Realising the significant contributions made by moot courts and client counselling competitions in the training of quality lawyers, the Moot Court Association (MCA) was set up in order to maximise the benefits that the students could draw from such competitions. A spate of ad hoc selections during the formative years of the University underscored the need for regulation of student participation in various competitions. Thus, in the year 2002 the MCA was formally set up with the primary objects of encouraging students to actively participate in moot courts, developing among them the skills of effective research and argumentation, and promoting among students a spirit of healthy competition and teamwork. The birth of the MCA reflects the triumph of the spirit of the students who tirelessly worked to succeed against all sorts of infrastructural and administrative odds. Needless to say, they were ably assisted in their noble endeavour by members of the faculty. Now in its third year, the MCA has succeeded in formalising the structure and procedure for the selection of teams to represent the University in various national level competitions during the academic session. The MCA's policies have been guided by the effort to balance the interests of the University with those of the students, thus providing for maximum representation in competitions yet ensuring that individual talent and growth potential of the students is not stifled. In keeping with its objectives, the MCA has also initiated a number of competitions at the University level itself in order to expose the maximum number of students to the world of mooting and inspire them to partake in more such activities. Taking upon itself the responsibility of improving the standard of mooting in the University, the MCA has also implemented a number of policies to train the students in the skills required and assist them in their preparation for various competitions. The success of the MCA's policies can be gauged from the marked increase in the number of trophies won by the University since the birth of the MCA. The MCA's achievements are made all the more praiseworthy in light of the fact that it is almost entirely a student run organization. The MCA has representatives from each batch of the University and together this small group of students comprise its governing body. The governing body, which functions under the broad supervision and guidance of a faculty member, is responsible for the functioning and decision making of the MCA. The MCA has been successful in selecting competent students for external moot courts that have time and again brought laurels to the University (see Student Achievements) but also for a transparent and rigorous selection procedure for external moot courts. External judges are called for evaluation. It has experimented with diverse selection procedures and now follows a three pronged selection process. The internal moot court competition for the first years has become an important learning ground for the first years. The MCA has successfully lived up to the initial challenges that were put to it. It has formalized the structure of internal selections and implemented policies to achieve excellence in national level competitions while ensuring adherence to ethical standards. The MCA is now well set to face the next challenge, namely to host a national level moot court competition in the humble portals of this University. 23 Annual Inter University Bar Council Of India Trust  Moot Court Competition 1 – 3 Dec. 2006. NLIU, Bhopal recently had the honour and privilege of hosting the 23 Annual Inter University Bar Council of India Moot Court Competition from 1Dec. – 3 Dec. 2006. The inaugural session was graced by the presence of His Excellency Dr. Balram Jakhar, Governor, State of Madhya Pradesh as the chief guest and Sri R.B.Raghuvanshi, Vice – chairman of the Bar Council of India. The Final Round, was judged by Hon’ble Justic Ashok Bhan, Judge Supreme court of India; Hon’ble Justice A.K. Patnaik, Chief Justice High Court of Madhya Pradesh; Hon’ble Justice Deepak Verma, Judge High High Court of Madhya Pradesh Sri R.B. Raghuvanshi, Vice Chairman, Bar Council of India and  Sri S.N.P. Sinha, Member, Bar Council of India. The Valedictory Session was graced by Hon’ble Justice Ashok Bhan, Judge, Supreme Court of India. The winner team was ILS, Pune and the best Memorial was of NLSIU, Banglore.   The Placement Co-ordination Committee (PCC) The PCC was formed with the aim to provide final placements and externshipss for the students. It serves as a communication channel between the prospective employers and students. It functions under a faculty head and comprises of final year students. The PCC is wholly independent in its structure and functioning and was responsible for the complete placement of the first batch of 2003. It has now come up with an excellent brochure highlighting the achievements and qualities of the Class of 2004 and is in the process of finalising placements for the same batch. The PCC owes its success to transparent procedures and excellent networking skills. Centre for Intellectual Property The Center for Intellectual Property came into existence in September, 2003. The Center was constituted by the Director, with the supervision of Ms. Monica Raje, Faculty Member. The basic structure of the Center comprises a six member governing council, along with 143 members from the student body. This center is wholly a student's initiative. The core objectives of the Center for Intellectual Property are as follows: 1. To have a comprehensive and regularly updated resource base on the internet. Not only will such a resource base provide useful Intellectual Property related information to students, lawyers and academicians. The material will be researched by the student members of the Center for intellectual property. The web space for the website has been sponsored by the Asian Schools of Cyberlaws. 2. To disseminate knowledge of Intellectual Property, through the medium of seminars, symposiums and workshops. Certain government agencies, in the field of Intellectual Property, have shown keen interest in collaborating with the University to organize seminars. The Center has already organised its first is a one day workshop, in conjunction with Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, held on 22nd November, 2003. The resource persons for the seminar included: Dr. (Mrs) S.K. Verma, Mr. H. Subramanium, Ms. Pratibha Singh and Ms. Manoj Manda. 3. The cell intends to take a pioneering step and introduce an Intellectual Property journal. The thematic constructs of the journal would be: India and Intellectual Property-Breaking New Grounds. For the first issue, the center has confirmed contributions from eminent people, in the field of Intellectual Property. 4. With waves of harmonization, sweeping across the globe, in order to merge legal as well as policy distinctions in the field of Intellectual Property, the need Research and Development activities only increases. To be a part of the R&D web, the Center for Intellectual Property seeks research proposals from leading Governmental and Non-Governmental Agencies. At present, two such proposals have been received, namely: SARAI, an NGO and MANUPATRA, a commercial enterprise, involved in developing legal resources for law firms. 5. To make students aware of the dynamics of the evolution of the field of Intellectual Property, inviting experts to lecture on critical areas seems a step in this direction. The Center has outlined certain persons, academicians and lawyers, to share their knowledge and update students. 6. The Center is to assist and counsel students with regards placements and internships in the field of Intellectual Property Law. From its wide network of contacts, students can avail useful information on training under lawyers and law firms. Moreover, the Center will also update them as to important events related to Intellectual Property. 7. A miscellany of objects, to be pursued by the Center, include: Organizing Moot courts and publishing a bi-annual newsletter. 'Access to Justice'- Legal Aid Committee The university has a tie up with international organizations and Bhopal based NGOs. The Committee provides necessary legal information to these NGOs. A number of students have been associated with NGOs and have been rendering their services on a personal level. These personal services have now been channeled through the official legal committee. The activities of the cell include: NLIU's partnership with NGO's in pursuance of the Supreme Court Ruling pertaining to the distribution of compensation to the victims of Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Adoption of the village Kesla to provide legal assistance and creating awareness amongst the tribal block of the area. The students of the university have been associated with the Narmada Bachao Andolan and have been helping the oustees in registering their grievances with the Grievance Redressal Authority (GRA). The university has established a strong network with NGOs such as UNICEF, UNHCR, Helpage India, Amnesty International, WWF, CRY, Samarthan etc to support socially relevant causes. The university has established a patnership with the Bhopal District Courts in organizing Lok Adalats, whereby students participate in settling disputes. The Literary Society The writing skills of a lawyer are as important, if not more so, as his speaking skills. In fact in today's context, the writing skills are always seen as to be more significant and necessary for a lawyer. This society was formed with an aim to provide a writing platform for the students of NLIU thorough their periodic newsletter and web journal (see Web Journal). The object of the society is to hone the student's research and writing skills and provide them with a platform to display their skills. The society has come up with web journals and newsletters on specific issues like 'medicine and law', 'corporate and telecom laws' etc.   The Debating Club Those students not specifically interested in moot courts yet have a penchant for public speaking can resort to this club. This club is responsible for organising weekly debates on not only legal issues but also current affairs and socio-cultural issues. It is also responsible for organising selections for external debate and extempore competitions. ATHENA To streamline the different cultural activities of the University and to organise more cultural shows in collaboration with other universities, Athena has been formed only recently. Still in its infancy, this society would look into consolidation of different activities under a society with specific members and faculty in-charge. It has been of course noted that when activities are conducted under the aegis of a particular society, the efficiency and productivity of the activities increase manifold. The Event Management Committee The strict curriculum does not deter students from organising cultural events within the university. The EMC is the cultural base of NLIU. Its is responsible for carrying out many cultural activities. It consists of students who are well informed about how to manage any show that is put under their responsibility. Other than organising and managing shows given to it, it also organises shows on special days - one of the most successful of its shows being the one organised on International Women's Day. SPICMACAY   The SPICMACAY and NLIU have collaborated for promoting Indian art and culture among the youth. SPICMACAY and NLIU hosted two cultural concerts on campus showcasing the talents of Grammy Award Winner Padmashree Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Maestro Ram Kumar, Ustad Zulfikar Syed, Pandit Kore and Volinist T.N. Krishnan Gender Justice Cell The Gender Justice Cell is divided into three dealing with research & documentation, creativity and public relations. The orientation program witnesses a speaker from the Indian Center for Human Rights & Law, Mumbai and a leading NGO working for the rights of women and children. This Gender Sensitisation Programme aims at sensitizing and spreading awareness among people towards women related issues. Law & Economics Society Law & Economics Society is a recent initiative, which aims to provide for the discussion on contemporary interdisciplinary issues of law and economy. This society works on projects outsourced by research institutions, organizations (governmental), corporate houses and law firms. The society also organizes guest lectures, seminars and conferences. Centre for Research and International Law (CRIL) The Centre for Research and International Law (CRIL) was formed to facilitate the understanding of public international law and relations. CRIL promotes understanding of international law and relations amongst students in India through Model United Competitions, Round Table conferences and workshops in contemporary international issues. Centre for Criminal Law Studies This center has been set up to focus specifically on criminal law with respect to changing conceptions of law and society. The center is involved in prison reforms, and to further this, it has facilitated the interaction of students with jail authorities and jail inmates. Students Law Commission Law is a dynamic, ever changing and vibrant notion, which has to be updated, modernized, regularized and reorganized with the changing perception of the society. With this is mind, Justice M. Jagannath Rao, Chairman Law Commission of India, has first mooted the novel idea of establishing Students' law commission. Cell for Law and Society The Cell has become the buzzword of academic discourse in the campus. Structured to create 'democratic space' in the tensed academic environment and designed to develop a 'critique' of powerful politico-philosophical theories the cell continues its forward march towards achieving excellence in academics Human Rights Cell The aim of this cell is to promote and protect democratic values and human rights. The core areas of the work of this cell include- Research, Analysis and Advocacy; capacity building; field based experiments; information dissemination and promotion of networking relating to Human Rights. Cell for Constitutional Jurisprudence The cell proposes to develop a platform for the students and faculty members, conceptually analyze, discuss and debate upon the interplay between law and specialized field like, 'law and society', 'law and morality', 'law and development', 'law and market', 'law and corporate governance' and 'law and good governance' etc. in the constitutional perspective. The Jurist Caucus The Jurist Caucus encourages the student to adopt conceptual thinking-not constricted by rationality- and to apply the same in their chosen profession or area of specialisation. The idea is to produce not only jurists in the conventional sense, but also those who can provide juristic reflections drawn from professional experience. Media Outreach Centre A recently formed centre, it handles varied functions like designing and updating the official University Website periodically and serves as a link between university and the media in general. It comprises of students who have a creative bent of mind. In the future it looks forward to taking up many other activities. It consists of students from every batch and has a faculty in-charge.