Looking at law school rankings in India through the lens of democratic ideals

Hardikar, Swarna (2021) Looking at law school rankings in India through the lens of democratic ideals. Asian Journal of Legal Education, 8 (8). pp. 175-193. ISSN 23220058

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Abstract

Legal education in India has undergone phenomenal changes in the past few years. Gone are the days when certain established universities had a monopoly over legal education, and when interest in professional legal education was surpassed by the likes of science, technology and medicine, which are essential for the industrial and social development of any country. Lawyers, characterized as social engineers, are equipped with the vision for social change, which is essential in a developing country like India. Lawyers understand the present and have a vision for the future. Social change can be brought about by change in law, which reflects the direction in which the country is progressing.

Ranking systems portraying democratic and constitutional ethos will encourage law schools and related authorities to change; accordingly, that is when they will become equipped to bring about relevant social change. Hence, it only seems pertinent to analyse the ranking systems in accordance with the democratic ideals and ethos enshrined in the Constitution, including the Preamble, which is where we find the mention of justice, equality, liberty and fraternity, the Fundamental Rights and the Directive Principles of State Policy, where we find the mention of the rule of law, social welfare and the values propounded by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the international convention on human rights. This will provide a better perspective for judging the quality of law schools and the law students, which will be essential in understanding the changes which need to be made to the current teaching and learning pedagogy. Students will be more equipped to deal with the challenges posed by the legal profession after graduation and will become harbingers of justice.

Item Type: Article
Keywords: Law school ranking | Legal education in India | Ranking systems
Subjects: Social Sciences and humanities > Social Sciences > Law and Legal Studies
Social Sciences and humanities > Social Sciences > Education
JGU School/Centre: Jindal Global Law School
Depositing User: Mr. Syed Anas
Date Deposited: 14 Dec 2021 10:42
Last Modified: 05 Jan 2022 16:24
Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1177/23220058211019338
Additional Information: With utmost gratitude, the author would like to acknowledge the guidance, support, and invaluable advice of Prof. (Dr.) Purvi Pokhariyal, Director and Dean, Institute of Law, Nirma University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, for her help in formulating my ideas in this article.
URI: https://pure.jgu.edu.in/id/eprint/181

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