Kerala Law Academy

Kerala Law Academy
Type Private law college
Affiliation University of Kerala
Location Trivandrum, India, Kerala
8°32′22″N 76°57′58″E / 8.5395°N 76.966°E / 8.5395; 76.966Coordinates: 8°32′22″N 76°57′58″E / 8.5395°N 76.966°E / 8.5395; 76.966
Website www.keralalawacademy.in

Kerala Law Academy (KLA), also referred to as Kerala Law Academy Law College (KLALC), is a private law college in Trivandrum, Kerala, India. Founded in 1967, it is the first, and was for many years the only, private law institution in the state.[1] It is accredited by the Bar Council of India.[2] and affiliated to the University of Kerala.

KLA has both the three year and the five-year LL.B programs (under the graduate stream of study) and the LL.M and M.B.L programs (under the post-graduate stream of study). The college has an active Moot Court Society and students of the society has also participated in various competitions held outside India. KLA also conducts a legal aid clinic to provide legal assistance to members of the underprivileged sections of the society.[3]

History

Kerala Law Academy was registered as a society on 17 October 1966 and inaugurated on 21 October 1967. In 1968 land was assigned to the Kerala Law Academy Law College and the college started functioning under the University of Kerala in the same year.[4]

Controversy

In January 2017 students of the institute protested and launched a strike against what was described as "anomalies in the allocation of internal marks and inhuman treatment to students and even caste discrimination".[5] Matters escalated as students claimed they were denied permission to organize a solidarity protest against Nehru College of Engineering and Research Centre, where a student committed suicide following alleged harassment by the college management. Protests turned violent and 15 cops were injured during a protest march.[6] The students accused principal Lekshmi Nair, who is also a celebrity cook and television anchor, of not devoting enough time to the academic affairs of the college[7] and later demanded her resignation.[8] Nair denied all allegations in a press conference.[9] The Syndicate of Kerala University has decided to send a committee to check the situation[10] and as the committee submitted their report, the Syndicate decided to debar Nair from conduct of exam work for the next five years.[11] Following the committee report, both big parties in the congress decided to support the students in their struggle.[12] Soon after this, a criminal case was registered against Nair under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, for harnessing a student by calling him by his cast name.[13] As protests entered their fourth week, the government of Kerala ordered a probe into land utilisation issues by the college.[14] To appease the students, the management of the college has decided to remove Nair from her post,[15] but agitation continues as students demanded Nair's resignation.[16] Demands were made to cancel the Kerala University affiliation[17] but these were denied by the university.[18] Protests continued until the state government guaranteed the students they would not let the management reinstate Nair.[19] The criminal case against Nair was withdrawn four months later.[20]

See also

References

  1. "In the name of law". The Hindu. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  2. Bar Council of India: List of Approved Institutions
  3. http://students.indlaw.com/display.aspx?2776
  4. "History | Kerala Law Academy". www.keralalawacademy.org. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  5. "Law Academy mgmt courts trouble as students protest". The Times of India. TNN. 13 January 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  6. "SFI march to Law Academy turns violent, 15 cops hurt". The Times of India. TNN. 16 January 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  7. "Lekshmi Nair's Kerala Law Academy in the midst of a storm, student protest turns violent". The News Minute. 15 January 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  8. AK, Aditya (17 January 2017). "Kerala Law Academy students call for Dr. Lekshmi Nair resignation". Bar & Bench. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  9. "Kerala law academy principal Lekshmi Nair denies allegations against management, ABVP protests". The News Minute. 22 January 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  10. "KU panel to visit Kerala Law Academy Law College". The Hindu. 22 January 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  11. "Syndicate debars Lekshmi Nair from exam work". The New Indian Express. 29 January 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  12. "CPI, BJP to intensify stir over Kerala Law Academy principal ouster". The New Indian Express. 30 January 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  13. "Criminal case registered against Kerala Law Academy principal Lekshmi Nair". The New Indian Express. 30 January 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  14. "Kerala Law Academy Controversy: State Government Orders Probe Into Land Issue". NDTV. 31 January 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  15. "Lekshmi Nair removed as Kerala law college principal, inquiry promised against caste-discrimination allegations". The New Indian Express. 31 January 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  16. "Law academy talks fail, stir to continue". The Hindu. 31 January 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  17. Kumar, B S Anil (4 February 2018). "BJP urges Kerala governor to take steps to cancel the affiliation of law academy". The Times of India. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  18. "Kerala law college to retain affiliation". The Hindu. 7 February 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  19. "Kerala Law Academy protests end on 29th day, college to get new Principal". The News Minute. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  20. "Student withdraws case: Kerala HC quashes case against Law Academy principal Lakshmi Nair". The New Indian Express. 26 May 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
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