The Union Minister of Law and Justice, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, visited the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, on 16 September 2026. During the visit, students and faculty gave presentations on the recent initiatives in clinical legal education and on the student-led activities on legal aid and legal awareness at NLSIU, and engaged Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal in a discussion on the future of legal education in India.

The event began with an address by Lohith Reddy, Co-President of the Student Bar Association, followed by opening remarks from Vice Chancellor Prof. (Dr) Sudhir Krishnaswamy. Darshana Mitra, Assistant Professor at NLSIU, then presented on the University’s faculty-led clinics in Juvenile Justice, Labour Justice and Criminal Justice. Mubarak and Yash, Convenors of the student-led Legal Services Clinic — India’s oldest university legal aid clinic — also presented an overview of their extensive work in legal aid and across legal awareness programmes. The Minister then took part in a conversation with Dr Sidharth Chauhan, Assistant Professor at NLSIU, on subjects ranging from court infrastructure and careers in public service to innovation in legal education.

The Minister subsequently addressed the NLSIU students, commending them for their work on legal aid and legal awareness programmes. He also spoke about the importance of pro bono lawyering, relying on the example of Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das’ pro bono and spirited defence of Aurobindo Ghosh in the case of Emperor v Aurobindo Ghosh and Others, popularly known as the Alipore Bomb case. He also underscored the value of temperance as a virtue in public debate, using the example of Shankaracharya’s debate with Mandana Mishra, and the former’s victory because of his calm and restrained speech.

Shri Meghwal spoke at length about the constitutional virtues of liberty, equality, and fraternity, stressing the importance of the latter and citing the Legal Services Clinic’s work as an example of service that fosters greater fraternity. He also spoke about Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s emphasis on equality as a prerequisite for true liberty. Lastly, the Minister addressed the need to adapt to inevitable technological innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI), while also emphasising that AI can never entirely replace human intelligence.

The event concluded with remarks by the University Registrar, Dr Saurabh Bhattacharjee, who expressed the University’s commitment to supporting the Ministry of Law and Justice through research and participation in its initiatives, followed by a vote of thanks by Aarsha J., Co-President of the Student Bar Association.