The views expressed in the article are those of the author solely and the Blue Pencil does not endorse the same.
To the uninitiated, our college might carry the image of a dictatorship, and this image of an authoritarian rule might even acquaint a person with assumptions about our beloved institution’s working and functioning (or lack thereof). However, the benevolence in every bit of our institution goes underappreciated, sometimes even unnoticed. AIL, just like God, works in mysterious ways, and the same should not shake up our belief in the institution or its greatness.
Our college is a spitting image of equality, opportunity, and efficiency. Our esteemed faculty and administration maintain the same. Despite the dictatorship-like functioning, they carry out perfect administration of enquiries, selection of members for committees, selection for teams that we send for competitions and of course teaching.
What shines the brightest of all the achievements that we have witnessed is the nullification of the evil – often termed– “meritocracy.” In law school, talent, skills, confidence, and the so-called ‘spark’ are bestowed on a chosen few – sprinkled unevenly in an almost unfair and unpredictable manner. For this very reason, our college in the attempt to preserve equality has time and again chosen to ignore the abovementioned traits in its students and their appraisal for competitions, committees, and other opportunities. Our gracious faculty, even when already sure of who they want to select (due to their superior insight – OFC!), still let everyone sit for the interviews; immense human hours are invested just so that we all can feel good. Justice is not only done but also appears to be done. For reasons that remain mysterious, there seems to be a positive correlation between the width of one’s tongue and the appraisal garnered, however, I am sure that this should not be a sign of worry; in the least, we are safe from assessments based on merit that only favour a chosen few.
This equality even extends to the teachers (fairness and equality do not leave any part of our college untouched). No discipline requires a so-called specialisation, and any teacher having studied law as a whole carries the capability to teach any law subject (obviously), after all, if students can learn multiple subjects in a semester, teachers can teach multiple subjects too, right? Further, if we keep our expectations reasonable (expecting your professor to understand the nuances and difference between onus and burden of proof, for example, might be a little unreasonable.) we open ourselves to the bright side of not having to acquaint ourselves with new teachers every semester. A year or two into the college we already know how most of the faculty teaches (think about the saved time that would have gone wondering). Teachers also get varied exposure as they are not bound by the arbitrary boundaries set by ‘corporate,’ ‘civil,’ or ‘criminal’ laws – they teach as per vacancy, and shine through nonetheless!
In AIL teachers often step out of the mundane curriculum and ensure that you are doing well even in your life even outside the academic block. Teachers and students frequently consult each other as to what (and sometimes even who) is best for you. However, sometimes shyness might keep them from conveying their well-intended wisdom but the intention and the time taken out of their busy life must be appreciated—one well-meaning, unsolicited opinion at a time.
So, let us raise a toast to AIL: a place where intellectual curiosity is stifled, individuality is discouraged, and well-meaning interference is the norm.
– This article has been submitted anonymously.
