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| Pic: Gajanan Dudhalkar |
What would you say of
an institution that counts Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak,
B.R. Ambedkar, N.A. Palkhivala, Ram Jethmalani, Soli Sorabjee,
Fali S. Nariman, Justice P.N. Bhagwati and a host of judges,
jurists, statesmen and lawyers, as its students? Indeed,
the venerable Government Law College just outside the Churchgate
railway station in Mumbai is more than a landmark. Last
year it celebrated its sesquicentennial — 150 years of an
illustrious academic journey.
Like the IIT and the J.J. School
of Arts, which are bywords for academic excellence in their
respective fields in Mumbai, the Government Law College
is also renowned for the quality of its academic programme.
It was ranked among the first 10 law colleges a couple of
years ago by India Today. In fact, if you want to
study law in the country, lawyers will tell you that the
two places are the National Law School in Bangalore and
the Government Law College in Mumbai. The National Law schools
in various parts of the country are deemed universities
and the course fee is upwards of Rs 60,000. The Government
Law College, on the other hand, has a very affordable fee
structure of about Rs 2,500 per annum.
There are two courses on offer
— a five-year integrated law course leading to a BLS, LLB
degree and a three-year law course leading to a LLB degree.
They also offer two postgraduate one-year diploma courses,
security law and cyber law, which are conducted in collaboration
with the Asian School of Cyber Laws, Pune.
Admission time
Admissions are based strictly
on merit. There are 160 seats of which half are for the
reserved category. So there is usually a mad scramble for
the seats, with over 1000 applications being screened every
year from all over the country. While selecting students,
the college board keeps in mind the fact that Arts students
cannot score as much as students from the science or the
commerce stream. An added attraction is the fact that hostel
facilities are available for as many as 62 students.
The College is funded by the Maharashtra
government and is affiliated to the Mumbai University. In
Mumbai, the concept of a five-year degree course in law
is catching up fast and colleges like S.V.K.M. Law College,
Nalanda College of Law in Borivali, M.G.M. College and D.Y.
Patil College in Navi Mumbai offer the five-year law degree
course. Three-year courses in law are offered at K.C. College
of Law, Siddharth College of Law, New Law College, Matunga,
Gopaldas Jamatmal Advani Law College, Jitendra Chavan College
of Law and the T.M.C Thane Law College, Thane.
However, every law student dreams
of studying at the Government Law College since the faculty
is excellent and solicitors like Professor Pitawala and
Professor Iqbal Panjwani lend their expertise to the teaching.
Engaging atmosphere
The moot court competitions of
the Government Law College are legendary. These competitions
involve taking up a case modelled on a controversial one
and arguing the matter, just like in a real court of law.
There are several such moot court associations in the Government
Law College and the famous ones include the Nani Palkhivala
Memorial National Tax Moot Court Competition and the D.M.
Harish Memorial International Moot Court Competition. The
M.C. Chagla lecture series held by the college every year
is also very prestigious and is usually attended by eminent
speakers. In fact, Soli Sorabjee is scheduled to speak this
year. Says Abhinav Bhushan, the general secretary of the
student’s union, and a fourth-year student, “ I am from
Saharanpur, studied at the Doon School in Dehra Dun and
had got admission to the ILS Law College in Pune. But keeping
in mind the access to the courts here at the Government
Law College, I decided to join this institution. I feel
I have an edge over others because I have been at the courts
for the last four years witnessing the action firsthand.”
Abhinav adds that the active moot
courts help in honing advocacy skills and allow students
“to think on their feet”. “Interesting topics are discussed
at these moot court competitions. For example, we are now
discussing the constitutional validity of the Domestic Violence
Act,” he says. The college also has a vibrant atmosphere
of extra-curricular activity and has such committees as
the Hindi Parishad, the Marathi Mandal, a debating society
and sports committees.
Fast forward
Says P.R. Rao, principal of the
college, “One of our ex-students who is now a minister for
higher and technical education in the Maharashtra government,
Dilip Walse Patil, has promised a grant of Rs 35 crores
which will go towards sprucing up the college.” On the cards
are a renovated auditorium, a computerised library, a conference
room, a seminar room, etc.
Nandish Vyas, who passed out in
2004, and now works with a firm of solicitors called Federal
& Rashmikant, says that the location of the college
itself is an advantage. “It was so easy to attend court
while in college. The courts are just 10 minutes away and
we are also close to the offices of many of the legal firms.”
He adds that the experience gained there proved to be very
beneficial in tackling real life cases. “The placement committee
was also very active and good,” claims Vyas.
Vital Statistics
WHAT IS IT? A government law college.
WHO’S THE BOSS? P.R. Rao is the principal.
How expensive is it? The fees amount to Rs 2,500 annually.
How about jobs? They have an active placement cell.
Where to stay?There are hostel facilities.
Where is it? Government Law College,“A” Road,
Churchgate,Mumbai 400 020.
Phone: (22) 2204 1707
Fax: (22) 2285 1315
E-Mail: webmaster@glc.edu
Website: www.glc.edu
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