Giving Month@NLSIU - Focus Track: Student Financial Aid

The University’s request last year for support for student financial aid received significant interest from alumni across the globe, whether as batch groups or individual contributors, who want to connect and give back to the student community at NLSIU. ​​In 2021, alumni instituted a number of named scholarships for NLSIU students, including the Ajoy Halder THB Scholarship, Col. Prakash Manik Bhat Memorial Scholarship and the Class of 1995 Scholarship for Menon Scholars, with commitments totaling Rs 67 lakhs.

The University’s first systematic alumni fundraising campaign, which aimed at raising a conservative Rs 15 lakh in three weeks, saw participation from over 50 alumni across the globe. Their cumulative contribution for student financial aid came up to Rs 15.7 lakhs.

The B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) Class of 1994 set up a scholarship endowment in 2019 to commemorate 25 years of their graduation. Initially set up with a mission to help students who do not come from a privileged background over a long term horizon, the interest accruing on this endowment is applied to fund annual scholarship disbursal. The generous top-up in 2021 has taken the Class of 1994’s endowment fund to Rs 50 lakhs, the largest such endowment in the University’s history.

“In the last year, the University has sent us well-captured notes and reports about the beneficiaries. The process, including formalities like getting receipts for tax certificates etc., has been seamless. These things have made it easier for alumni to connect back with the University, and participate in giving back. We believe that the spirit of coming together as a class and giving back to our alma mater makes a difference.” said Bharath Jairaj from the Class of 1994. 

In 2021, the B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) Class of 1995, contributed to support one Dr N R Madhava Menon Doctoral Scholraship for PhD Students. An alumnus on behalf of the batch explained their decision, “Legal scholarship plays an immensely valuable role in shaping the rule of law. We are glad that NLSIU is making an effort to revitalise the doctoral programme by making it more inclusive and consequently more meritocratic. We feel privileged to be able to contribute towards the Dr Menon Scholarship and wish the candidates the very best.”

Alumni contributions also play a role in shaping the academic rigour and output at the University, by encouraging students to remain committed towards their academic performance, without being hindered by financial constraints. Institutional support in this manner along with mentorship bolsters the students’ confidence and aligns their focus, so they are able to perform at their best and make full use of various opportunities during their programme of study. Students who are the beneficiaries of scholarships develop a strong sense of connection with the University – a connection they carry with them after graduating and which manifests in paying it forward.

The Giving Month initiative showcases opportunities for alumni to connect with the various initiatives at the University and play an active role in fostering a sense of belonging in the current and forthcoming batches. Insofar as financial gifting goes, the University works with individual donors and batch groups to align University needs with donors’ giving preferences. It also offers donors flexibility on the donation amount, and timing and structuring of the contribution, with donor acknowledgement where appropriate.

NLSIU pioneered the B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) programme to provide a strong foundation for students to commence an education in law directly after school, and for the graduates to then pursue professional pathways before courts or in private practice, research or academia. The flagship programme has delivered transformative education to 29 cohorts of students since its commencement in 1988, and the 30th batch of this flagship programme will graduate in 2022.

NLSIU alumni have gone on to make a difference through their work from the Bench; as Senior Advocates and professors at universities; at law firms and as in-house counsel at companies and investment funds, by setting up their own entrepreneurial ventures, and working with non-governmental organisations in India and overseas, whether in the capacity of legal professionals or otherwise. With a view to making this transformational education accessible, the University is expanding all its full-time academic programmes in a phased manner. The B.A., LL.B (Hons.) intake will grow by 35% over the next two years in tandem with increase in faculty appointments and expansion of infrastructure, and is expected to be capped at 300 students by 2024.

In AY 2022-23, NLSIU will also welcome the first batch of its 3-Year LL.B (Hons.), a post-graduate programme for graduates from all disciplines seeking a grounding in the law. In keeping with NLSIU’s unique curricular and pedagogical approach, the programme is structured around interdisciplinary study of the law combined with experiential learning to deliver a rigorous legal education. With an initial cohort of 60, the programme will scale up to 120 students and be capped there.

The University has adopted an inclusion policy that ensures that students from diverse social, linguistic and economic backgrounds from across India benefit from a rigorous and transformative education. The admission process does not take into account the financial background of the applicant. It is therefore critical for us to have a robust financial aid programme to support this expanded and more diverse student body.

Alumni contributions play a significant role in fortifying NLSIU’s financial aid offering. In this context, Siddharth Raja (NLS BA LLB 97), who instituted the Swaminath and Nirmala Raja scholarship in 2020, said, “The scholarship we’ve instituted complements our ‘giving back’ to our dear alma mater — indeed, it signifies the ‘squaring’ of the circle, in my view, of all my teaching contributions to NLSIU over the years.” He has set up the scholarship programme along with his wife, Priya Rao, who is also an NLS alumna from the B.A., LL.B (Hons.) batch of 2000.

The Swaminath and Nirmala Raja scholarship for AY 2021-22 is awarded to Devansh Shukla, currently in the second year of his undergraduate studies. With the pandemic affecting the family’s income, Devansh required financial support to continue his studies.

“I used to be a science nerd, always in search of the ‘correct’ answer. My time at NLS has taught me that in the real world, more often than not, there are no correct answers. There is a good solution and then there is always a better solution. I have finally begun to appreciate that perfection is not a destination but a journey. The scholarship has truly motivated me. I draw inspiration from Mr Siddharth Raja. I aspire to accomplish something beyond just academics and a professional life. Giving back to the community is always on my mind,” Devansh shared.

During Giving Month, NLSIU seeks to raise Rs 9 lakhs in LLB scholarships from alumni.