National Law University, Orissa is temporarily housed in the recently innovated buildings, originally intended for other purposes. Despite this constraint, we have made considerable efforts to ensure this does not handicap us in any manner – neither in academics, nor in terms of the quality of life provided to the students. To take an instance, the University is already fully Wi-Fi enabled, with routers installed almost outside every room in the academic block and some seven or eight to a floor in the hostels. Other areas of infrastructural development are also being addressed as expeditiously as possible.
Academic Block
The academic block is currently situated on the outskirts of the city, along the banks of the river Mahanadi. Already, in merely a few months after we obtained possession, it can claim infrastructural resources that, while being far from what we consider ideal or even satisfactory, are at least adequate to sustain education and research in reasonable comfort. This includes classrooms, a moot court hall, a well-appointed conference hall, faculty and administrative offices, and a snack bar.
Our classrooms are spacious, comfortable, and air-conditioned. They are equipped with the latest in audio-visual equipment, such as LCD projectors and wired sound. Application of these facilities has been consciously integrated into the teaching curriculum. In most courses, viva voce examinations have been obviated by power point presentations. This not only acclimatizes students with public speaking, but also makes them familiar with tools such as Power Point and other presentation software, a valuable skill in today’s professional environment. This emphasis on infrastructure also permits recourse to classroom strategies, not seen in many law schools of the country. Film screenings are frequently organised in classes, which are followed by discussion and brainstorming sessions.
The Moot Court Hall is our pride and joy. More than twice as large as a classroom, it is also air-conditioned, Wi-Fi enabled, and equipped with all the necessary audio-visual equipment. It has been designed to serve several roles. Apart from hosting moot-court competitions, it doubles up as a practice area where our students hone their mooting skills; as a hall where subject-presentations are organised; and as a venue for guest lectures by eminent personalities. We have been singularly fortunate in this respect.
Hostels
Our present hostel premises are located at Cantonment Road, about five kilometres east of the Academic Block along the banks of the Mahanadi. The ground floor contains dining halls and recreation areas equipped with television, table-tennis tables, carom boards and so on. The space outside the building is given over to games like football and badminton. Discipline is given considerable priority. Our security arrangements are stringent, in order to ensure the safety and security of residents and their property. Other welfare measures include round-the-clock housekeeping services, broadband Wi-Fi access, extensive first-aid facilities, and an ambulance on duty 24 hours.