1. Madam please introduce yourself to our readers.
I am working as an Assistant Professor of Law in ICFAI University, Tripura. I am born and brought up in Kolkata, West Bengal. My alma mater for BA. LL.B. is Gujarat National Law University and pursued my masters from West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata. I am currently doing by Ph.D. from National Law University, Odisha. During my law school days, I was interested in mooting and participated in various moot court competitions and helping students now in grooming for moot court competitions.
2. What inspired you to choose law as your career?
I never aspired to pursue law as I was not introduced to court room drama at that point of time. My father wanted me to sit for CLAT and it was the very first-year CLAT was been conducted. So, I just appeared for the exam. I was about to take admission in a reputed University in Kolkata in Economics honors’ when I got a call from NLSIU (that year NLS was conducting CLAT) whether I am interested to get admission in GNLU. Hence, law happened. I was still in doubt whether to pursue it further. During the first few weeks of joining Law School, moot court and law of torts class took place, that was convincing enough for me that I was absolutely on the right path.
3. Tell us a bit about your study time during college life.
It was amazing. It didn’t give me knowledge and skills only, but also build up the person who I am today. I still recall the days of night mess in GNLU, which belled the alarm for the forthcoming examination. Conversation over coffee and Maggie was the best stress buster before exams. Mooting and doing conferences kept me always busy and something I love to do even now.
4. What areas of law fascinated you the most?
Basically, I am fascinated with the intertwined and entangled nature of law where one area remains incomplete without the other. Still I get really engrossed while studying gender justice, human rights and constitution.
5. Do you think that Mooting, Publication and Internship are important in law student’s life?
Yes, according to me they are extremely important. It is the causal link between the practical knowledge and theory. Mooting gives you not only showcase your researching skill, drafting skill, oratory skills and analytical skill but also time management, team work and spontaneity. These skills are important to build confidence.
Publication is of utmost importance when students want to showcase their understanding of a subject. A paper needs an extraneous hour of reading and building an opinion.
Law is a professional course, something as basic as talking with a client and drafting a notice under the guidance of a practicing lawyer gives immense exposure to real world of litigation. As far as 5 years of law is concerned every year or semester students can opt for NGOs, lawyers in various courts, internship under judges, law firms or corporate houses. As a result of these students get fair ideas about what areas they like and in what sector they are interested. This clarity is very important while they are sitting for placement. Legal study is a journey of confusions and contradictions. these helps a bit make the journey a little smoother.
6. Did you ever had an internship experience All during your college and how much internship is important for a law student?
Yes, in GNLU internship was mandatory. I have done internship in law firms in Kolkata and Delhi. Most remarkable was the internship under Mr. Shailesh Gandhi, Central Information Commissioner in Central Information Commission. Starting from making us understand the law, we were made to do research on the status of complaint.
Internship as I told earlier is no match to class lectures. Class Lectures can teach you for example company court rules along with company law and precedents associated with it. But a law firm dealing with case apply all these in a real case.
7. What should be the prime concern of a law student?
According to me, prime concern of a law student should be to understand what the law is and question everything that they understand. Grades are important but understanding is the soul. They should do something other than just academics.
Best experience was clearing UGC NET in my first attempt. Consistency, perseverance and inquisitiveness is a habit I can vouch for.
9. Lastly, What Would Be Your Message to People Who Want to Take Up A Career in Teaching?
A very learned professor once told me – real role of a teacher is threefold: lifelong learner, frontline researcher and eternal problem solver. Teaching job has all the more difficult as there are lots of information, plenty of YouTube channels and plethora of knowledge platforms. But we have to make sure the gadgets don’t become our masters but remain there only to serve us. We have to go at par with all those gadgets and medium of information, to keep students interested. In my 5 years of experience, if I have learnt that, though internet provides information but library is our best friend. Library can include e-library, open access books or online journal database. We have just entered the era of digital learning and online teaching. Hence, we have to deal with more distractions than before. So, we have to keep the students interested in the subject by updating, upgrading and enriching ourselves.
