BJD member Pradeep Kumar Maharathy on Friday demanded in the State Assembly that the Government take appropriate action against the National Law University (NLU), Odisha for not giving a 25-per cent reservation to Odia students for admission in different courses as per the agreement made with the State Government.
Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, Maharathy said the State Government has provided acres of land free of cost for setting up the NLU at Naraj.
As per the agreement, the university should give 25 per cent of its seats of various courses to students of Odisha on reservation basis.
But, it has not taken a single student from Odisha through reservation since its inception in 2009, alleged Maharathy reading out a news story from a vernacular daily.
There are 19 National Law Universities in the country. Excepting Odisha unit, all NLUs are executing the admission reservation in their respective States. The university at Naraj has 120 Integrated BA LLB seats, 40 BA LLB seats and 50 LLM seats. “Three Odia lawyers have already become Chief Justices of the Supreme Court. The talent of Odia law students can’t be questioned. Why the university will not execute the reservation agreement,” wanted to know Maharathy.
He further stated that the university has avoided the Chief Minister’s letter in this regard taking a plea that the Executive Council Body has not met and taken a decision in that regard.
Maharathy urged Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro to direct the Government to give a clarification in the House as to what action it has taken or going to take against the NLU as Odia students have been deprived of studying in the university for long.