News Category: News
PRESS RELEASE: “NLUO Celebrates Utkala Divasa and Hosts One Day Consultation Programme on Promoting Mental Health of Prison Inmates.”
01 Apr 2022
NLUO conducted a one-day consultation programme on promoting mental health of prison inmates by releasing ICSSR Report on Patterns of Prison Adjustments and Psychological Intervention for Correction Facilities in Prisons of Odisha, headed by Dr. Arjyalopa Mishra, on the event of Utkal Divas. ICSSR was established in the year of 1969 by the Government of India to promote research in social sciences in the country.
The welcome address was given by Prof. Ved Kumari, Vice Chancellor, National Law University Odisha, where she emphasised on the grave issue of prison reforms, as well as stereotypes concerning mental illness. She mentioned the horrible living condition of prisons in the country and also talked about the difference in consequences of long term and short-term prison sentences, and how difficult it is for prisoners to come out after a long term and reintegrate in the external world.
The welcome address was followed by the briefing of the ICSSR Report on Patterns of Prison Adjustments and Psychological Intervention for Correction Facilities in Prisons of Odisha by the Project Director, Dr. Arjyalopa Mishra. Dr. Mishra shared her journey on getting the project approved as well as her experiences gained while interacting with prisoners. The aim of the project was to comprehend distinct psychological coping styles and their demographic correlates via the application of standardized psychological tools among prisoners in the state of Odisha. The Project Director shared that the study report will contribute in making impactful policy changes in the prison administration of the state of Odisha. The findings of this project can enable the development of targeted strategies for different groups of inmates to enhance their psychological wellbeing and coping.
The Chief Guest of the occasion, Hon’ble Mr. Justice S.K. Panigrahi delivered his address in which he quoted Nelson Mandela and described how a nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones. He mentioned that undertrial prisoners are more than convicted ones in Odisha. He noted the unhygienic living conditions of the prisoners as well as the pathetic conditions of the kitchens. He noted that poor mental health of prisoners is neglected in public health policies and agendas. He also described how prisoners feel hopeless and powerless as a result of loss of contact with the outside world, loss of responsibility and enforced idleness, brutality and beatings by prison officials, loss of position and friends, drugs and loss of prospects outside the institution. He ended his address citing the need for more mental health awareness camps for jail officials to sensitise them.
Dr. Satyajit Mohanty, Chairman of OPSC, laid emphasis on the importance of mental health of prisoners and appreciated the empirical nature of the project conducted by Dr. Mishra. He shared his experience in rehabilitation of prison inmates during his time as DIG of Prisons and mentioned how prisoners face social ostracization during reintegration in the society. ?/p>
Mr. Subhakanta Mishra, DIG of Prisons also shared his insights on the infrastructural issues faced by prisons in India as well as the low staff to prisoner ratio. He noted that jails in Odisha are overburdened and most jails do not have a pharmacist. He explained the need for clinical psychologists in jails. He reiterated that jail is a place of reformation and not punishment.
Dr. Jigyansa Patnaik and Prof. Dr. Pratap Rath also shared their inputs on the identification of mental illness and need for mental health awareness. Other notable speakers included Ms. Namrata Chadha who delivered her address on rehabilitation of women prisoners and Ms. Madhurima Dhunuka, Programme Head of CHRI on the Prison Reform Project.
The Legal Aid students of the reputed Prison Advocacy Clinic, NLUO also released legal aid handouts. The event concluded with the presentation of mementos and the vote of thanks by Prof. Yogesh Pratap Singh, Registrar, National Law University Odisha followed by cultural performances by the students.
“Quotation Call Notice – Repair to the sports complex at NLUO, Cuttack.”
22 Mar 2022
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“Comprehensive Annual Maintenance Contract for Air Conditioning system, Installed at NLUO Campus.”
21 Mar 2022
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“Inter-College Photography and Poetry Writing Contest.”
09 Mar 2022
In light of the glorious initiative of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav which is aimed at celebrating 75 years of independence, the Cultural Committee of National Law University Odisha conducted an Online Inter-College Photography and Written Poetry Competition under the themes – “Unsung Heroes Around You” and “Aspirations of India’s Youth” respectively. The event received a great response with participants from various colleges across India.
The events were adjudged in a transparent manner and the details of the judges are as follows –
For the Hindi Poetry segment, we had Rangin Pallav Tripathy, Professor of Law at NLUO who is well specialized in the areas of Constitutional Governance, Civil Liberties, Criminal Law and Human Rights. We also had Somesh Sharma, an alumnus from the Batch of 2020, who is well known for his Hindi poetry writing and recitation skills during his time at NLUO.
For the English Poetry segment, we had Anubhuti Mishra. She is a Principal Associate at P & A Law Offices and is very passionate about Poetry Writing. We also had Suman Dash Bhattamishra, who is an Assistant Professor of Law at NLUO and has expertise in International Criminal Law, Access to Justice, Criminal Law and Gender Laws. She also specializes in painting and Hindustani vocals.
Finally, for the photography segment, we had Pankaj Kumar, an expert photographer with 21K followers on Instagram. His handle on Instagram is “DSLRwalaBhaiya”. Our second judge was Kisha Ravi, who works as a photographer at Rest of World (formerly known as NPR), a world-renowned photography magazine and news portal. Her Instagram handle is “kisharavi”.
The results were declared through a live event conducted on 6th March 2022.
The winners of the Hindi Poetry Writing contest are:
1st Prize- Misa Bharti, from Allen Kota
2nd Prize- Anshika Rathore, from National Law University Odisha
3rd Prize- Ujjawal Vaibhav Agrahari, from National Law University Odisha
The winners of the English Poetry Writing contest are:
1st Prize- Aaryan Gupta, from Sharda University
2nd Prize- Sudeepti Pandey, from National Law Institute University Bhopal
3rd Prize- Shiv Kumar Bera, from Sri Sri University
The winners of the Photography contest are:
1st Prize – Jeevan Justin, from National Law University Odisha
2nd Prize – Anwesh Khemundu, from National Law University Odisha
3rd Prize – Nitesh Mishra, from National Law Institute University Bhopal
We heartily congratulate all the winners.
“The release of a compendium titled ‘Paper Castles’ on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2022”
08 Mar 2022
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“NOTICE: Walk in Interview for data entry work on 14th March 2022.”
07 Mar 2022
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“Public Defence and Viva-Voce examination – Nidhi Chauhan on 3rd March 2022 at 07.00 PM”
25 Feb 2022
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“NOTICE: Walk in Interview for data entry work on 4th March 2022.”
24 Feb 2022
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“PRESS RELEASE: Eastern Regional Consultation on ‘Review of Criminal Law: Improvement in Status of Women’.”
18 Feb 2022
PRESS RELEASE<
Eastern Regional Consultation for the states of Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Bihar on ‘Review of Criminal Law: Improvement in Status of Women'<
National Commission for Women (NCW) Eastern Regional Consultation for the states of Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Bihar on ‘Review of Criminal Law: Improvement in Status of Women’ was organized by National Law University Odisha, Cuttack on 17 February 2022. The objective of this consultation was to review and analyze the position of law; and formulate consolidated recommendations for viable amendments keeping in view the perspective and position of women in India. This regional consultation witnessed participation from members of State Women Commissions, NGOs, members of Civil Societies, Delegates from Academia, Legal Professionals, Police Personnel and Prison Officials to give their views and opinions through deliberations in focused group discussions. The welcome address was delivered by Prof. Ved Kumari, Vice-Chancellor, National Law University Odisha, where she delineated the questions and points to be discussed during the consultation process. Ms. Rekha Sharma, Chairperson, NCW delivered the inaugural address. Dr. Usha Ramanathan, noted academician and leading human rights activist, shared her insights on ‘Looking at Criminal Law through the Lens of Women Studies’. Other notable speakers were Mr. Debi Prasad Dhal, Members, Bar Council of India, and Prof. Gangotri Chakraborty.
The consultation programme revolved around extensive discussion and deliberation on sexual offences; offences relating to marriage; cruelty by husband and his relatives; maintenance of wives, children and parents; need for modification in provisions of arrest, search and seizure, etc. among other important points. At the end of the consultation, some of the resolutions were as follows – marital rape as an exception should be deleted and should be treated as an offence. However, there were concerns on standard of proof, punishment, etc.; Section 498 of IPC (abduction of a married woman) should be repealed as regular abduction provision will be applicable; Section 498A should remain a cognizable offence; battered woman syndrome should be included under right of private defence; a sexual offenders’ registry should be maintained although with confidentiality being maintained; emphasis on speedy justice; gender neutral terms in sexual offences should be used with victims including third gender as well. There should be inclination towards rehabilitation and restorative justice as well. The participants of the consultation programme also emphasized on strengthening existing support systems under criminal law, and better implementation of existing laws rather than adding or creating more laws and provisions.
“3rd CLS Credit Course – The Economics of Constitutionalism: Principles and Practice”
11 Feb 2022
Date: 22nd January 2022 – 6th February 2022???????????????????Venue: Google Meet (Online)
?he 3rd Constitutional Law Society (NLUO) Credit Course, titled “The Economics of Constitutionalism: Principles and Practice” commenced on 22nd of January 2022. With the primary aim of bridging the gap between the theoretical understanding of the economic principles and the subsequent application in public policy and law, the course hosted a panel of experts from the field of law and economics. The course was scheduled to be held on the weekends of January and first week of February, with a total duration of 20 hours. A total of 146 participants registered for the course taught by 4 course instructors from 22nd January 2022 to 6th February 2022. The course began with an orientation conducted by the Constitutional Law Society wherein the participants were apprised of the ground rules for the course and subsequently, introduced to the background of the course instructors.
On 22nd January, there were two lectures scheduled. The first lecture was conducted by Prof. Mukul Asher. It gave an introduction to the entire course structure while delving into the inter-section of Law and Economics. Prof. Mukul Asher who holds a PhD in Economics from the Washington State University, is an experienced instructor in the field of Economics. Prof Asher began his lecture with select observations on the application of principles of economics in the field of law. His lecture discussed concepts like Transactional Costs and how the different branches of it, namely search and information, bargaining, decision making, policy and enforcement are very often used by both litigants as well as the judiciary in assessing the efficaciousness of the remedy sought. The lecture saw active participation and assisted the students in strengthening fundamental concepts of constitutional economics. The second lecture of the day was delivered by Dr. K.P. Krishnan, a retired IAS officer and a renowned name in the field of economics. The lecture, ‘State, Economy and Regulation’ covered wide base and discussed concepts like pareto efficiency, the underlying consequence of market failure and its subsequent impacts. Attention was focused towards remedial measures which included a detailed discussion on modified behaviors, taxation and the reliance of expenditure in public goods for redistribution. This concluded the first day.
The next day began with Prof Asher’ session, which discussed the theme of constitutional management. The lecture started with a discussion on Coase Theorem – the problem of social cause, the theoretical dimensions of constitutional economics and further delved into the finer details of the principles of economics as discussed in the works of Mr Richard Posner. The session concluded with Prof Asher suggesting reforms in PFMs for their better and efficient functioning.
The next session for the day on “Constitutional Equality and Evolving standards in Economics” was conducted by Mr. Lalit Panda, a fellow at Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy. His lecture primarily focused on the Indian position on Article 14 of the Indian Constitution which deals with the Right to Equality, specifically manifest arbitrariness, and the idea of substantive equality in Article 15 and 16 of the Constitution. This was followed by a discussion of the problems inherent in each doctrine and the lack of clarity in how the law on equality relates with discrimination law. Mr. Panda’s lecture was a departure from the normative understanding of the constitution and delved deep into the rationale befalling the provisions of the constitution which peaked the interests of the students. The second week thus concluded on a high note.
The last leg of the course, included lectures by Dr. Suryaprakash Mishra, Assistant Professor for Economics at National Law University, Delhi who discussed the concepts based on the theme of ‘Positive Constitutional Economics’ and the ‘Economic Analysis of the Constitution’. He discussed key concepts of critical importance embedded in the constitution, the understanding of which facilitates a smooth interpretation of the constitution. This includes social contracts, principal-agent relationship, precommitment device, bundle of conventions and evolutionary process. He also elaborately engaged in a discussion for the need for rules and regulations. His lectures saw the use of extremely though provoking examples and situations like the prisoners’ dilemma game. The weekend, saw concluding lectures by Dr. Krishnan, where he furthered the discussion on statutory regulations. His navigated the lecture around the failure during the licensing raj of the Industrial Regulatory and Development Authority and the subsequent introduction of the Securities and Exchange Board of India to rectify the failures. He also discussed the structural deficits within the legislature including lack of specific expertise and the slow response to domain awareness. His lecture, known for the enriching content and thought-provoking discussions concluded with him gauging an idea of what lies ahead in term of structural reforms. The last lecture for the course on ‘Equality in Policy Making’ was taken by Mr. Panda wherein he made the students aware about the difference between law and public policy and their intersectionality and consequent overlap in application. He also discussed concepts of legal equality in policymaking, its economic analysis and the existing gaps between rules, standards and micro-directives. This lecture enabled the participants better understand the practical drawbacks and flaws in the policies and encouraged intuitive and novel solutions.
All the lectures saw an enthusiastic participation from the participants with each lecture witnessing meaningful questions and interjections. The course culminated along with a panel discussion on the topic which was open to all the participants as well as other members of the legal fraternity.
