Bihar government to set up National Law University

Patna, May 23 (UNI) The Bihar government would set up a National Law University here to provide quality law education on the lines of Hyderabad, Banglore and other places.

The state Cabinet approved a decision to this effect today.

Briefing mediapersons after the Cabinet meeting, state Cabinet Coordination Secretary Ashok Kumar Chouhan said Rs 1.63 crore had been set aside for the current fiscal to set up the university, to be known as ''Chanakya Rashtriya Vishwvidyalaya''.

He said the university would commence work at the local A N Sinha Institute of Social Studies, but the government was identifiying a permanent location for it.

He said the government had proposed setting up the university at a sprawling nearly 15 acre land in Mithapur Mohalla of Patna. He said five-year course, three-year course and other courses would be conducted in the university.

Mr Chouhan said a law had to be enacted for the establishment of the university, which would launch its first academic session from July-August this year.

He said other details were being worked out, adding a quota would be fixed for students of Bihar for admisssion to the university. He said approval would be taken from the University Grants Commission (UGC) for establishing the National Law University, a task mandatory under the law of the land.

He said the university would be purely a state government venture but he did not rule out the possibility of approaching the Centre for financial and other support if such a situation arose.

He said the Registrar and the Dean of National Academy of Legal Studies and Research University in Hyderabad A Lakshminath had been appointed on contract for two years.

Giving break-up of the expenditure to be incurred for setting up the university, the Secreatary said Rs 62 lakh had been set aside for the establishment cost, while Rs 31 lakh for rent and others. He said Rs 60 lakh would be spent for purchasing computers, furniture, organising workshops and paying stipends to the students.

UNI/DH SJC RN1834