Maharashtra National Law University BA+LLB Review By Rachit Shrivastava

I am a second-year student at Maharashtra National Law University, Nagpur, and my experience here has been positive so far. My rank was in the 1500-1600 bracket, and I had the option to choose from other tier-2 NLU's, but I decided to come here due to convenience and certain other reasons. My initial impression of the university was impressive, particularly due to its infrastructure, which is better than most tier-3 and most of the tier-2 National Law Schools. However, it is important to mention that construction work is still ongoing, and many amenities have yet to be developed. This university has immense potential to advance into the tier-2 category in the near future, as it is in a development stage. The next 5 to 10 years will be crucial in determining the future of National Law University, Nagpur.

Talking about the academics here at NLUN, one gets a pretty good course range to opt from as unlike other Law institutions and it also offers BBA.LL.B program for the students who don't want to opt for the B.A. LL.B program. It is also the only National Law school which offers the BA.LLB (Hons. in Adjudication & Justicing) program for students who are inclined towards the judiciary. Overall academic culture here is good as it is pretty rigorous and taxing (which is a good thing in my opinion). One academic year is split into 2 semesters. Each subject consists of 100 marks out of which 20 is for mid-semester exam, 50 for end semester exam, 25 for research assignment and presentation / viva and the remaining 5 for attendance (Attendance requirements are very stringent here). 75% attendance is mandatory here irrespective of the course you are enrolled in. The eligibility criteria and selection process are different for the adjudication batch which is mentioned in detail on the university website. One can pick between BA & BBA depending upon their interests. The curriculum in all of the courses is pretty exhaustive and rigorous in nature.

Unlike other students at this university, I have had a pretty decent experience with all of the faculty members. The general opinion would likely differ from mine, but I believe that it’s totally up to the student as to how much they can extract from the faculty because all of the faculty members here are knowledgeable but like any other university, teaching methods of some of the teachers are not the best. Therefore, it all comes down to the student. I would recommend to anyone who is planning to come here to focus on keeping a good image in front of the teachers and engage with them as much as possible because that can help in getting useful insights from them.

Considering that the University was established in 2014-15 It is fair to say that it is relatively new. For that reason, the placement program here is not as vibrant as you'd expect from a National Law School. There is a recruitment coordination committee which handles the entire placement. It totally depends on the individual. However, it is expected that it will get better with time and there are talks that from this year onwards we will see a change in the placement pattern.

This question is particularly challenging to address some issues at the university which need to be resolved. Currently, when students join the university, they are required to stay outside the campus for the entire first year in hostels arranged by the university. This policy is due to the limited capacity in the on-campus halls of residence. I personally faced this issue during my first year. Students have to rely on the university-provided buses for transportation, which consumes a considerable amount of time throughout the day. Additionally, since there are more female students than male students, some female students are required to continue staying off-campus during their second year, which can be frustrating and burdensome. I would recommend clarifying this situation with the administration. On a more positive note, once you transition to the main campus, life there is relatively relaxed and enjoyable as it saves up a good chunk of your time. The hostels on the main campus are modern and well-equipped, which is expected given the high fees. However, it is worth noting that the hostels lack recreational facilities, and the available options are limited in number. These are some things that should be improved in the hostels. Overall, they are satisfactory.

The infrastructure is the best part about National Law University, Nagpur. The university offers one of the best facilities out of all the other Law universities. However, it is important to note that the university is still under construction. It has a functioning academic block, one building each for boys and girls as part of the halls of residence and a functioning mess. Aesthetically speaking, the university is very pleasing and modern architectural styles are implemented to construct different parts; the classrooms are also built differently which overall provide an enriching experience (important note - installation of the air conditioners in the classrooms is still not completed and is a work in progress). The university has promised to finish the construction work as soon as possible but I would still recommend confirming with the authorities.

Campus life here in my opinion is pretty fun, as I mentioned that the infrastructural facilities provided are good which make the experience even more enjoyable. The gentry here is also pretty nice, and you would find all sorts of people. As I mentioned there are not many recreational things to do as of yet in the campus but regardless of that, the fests here are exciting and fun (especially Sportacus & Lawkrit). The committees and clubs are also pretty active that make all of the exciting events possible.