Vijender Kumar

Vijender Kumar (born 10 June 1968) is a Professor of Law and currently serving as the Vice-Chancellor of Maharashtra National Law University, Nagpur, a National Law University in Nagpur, Maharashtra, India.^[1][2][3] He was the former Vice-Chancellor of National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam. He has also served as Registrar at NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad. Dr Kumar has been honoured with Telangana State Teacher award to Meritorious Teacher for his service as a professor of law by the Government of Telangana in 2019.^[4] With his experience as a legal professional at Bar Council of India, and also as an Academic administrator in Indian legal realm, Kumar is regarded as one of the authorities on the subject of Family law in India.^[5]

Education and career[]

Vijender Kumar received his primary school education in Chhutmalpur, a small village in the Saharanpur District of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. After completing his graduation and post graduation in law in 1993, Kumar went on to receive a doctoral degree in law with specialization in 'Hindu Law of Adoption'. Kumar started his teaching career as assistant professor at the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) University of Law, Hyderabad, India, where he taught family law, legal research methodology and Hindu law of adoption to undergraduate and postgraduate scholars.^[6] In the year 2009, Kumar received the prestigious Commonwealth Fellowship and visiting professorship at Kings College London, England. In the February 2013, he was appointed as registrar of the Nalsar University of Law, where he served for more than a year. ^[7] On 20 October 2014, Kumar assumed charge as Vice Chancellor of the National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam (NLUJAA) in Guwahati, Assam, India.^[8] He was instrumental in successfully holding recruitments for permanent faculty in 2015 thereby satisfying one of the major requirements of the University. Now he is appointed as vice-chancellor of Maharashtra National Law University, Nagpur.

Contributions[]

Prof. Kumar has published more than seventy research articles in reputed law journals on ‘Hindu Law’, ‘Research Methodology’ and “Legal Education’ and has contributed several book reviews and papers in several books. He has also authored several books amongst which are “Being A Law Teacher 2019”; “Law Relating to Domestic Violence 2007”, and “Hindu Law of Adoption 2004”. Prof. Kumar’s Revised Editions of “Hindu Law and Usage” of John D. Mayne (16th edition 2009, 17th edition 2014 and 18th edition 2020); and “Family Law in India” of Professor G.C.V. Subba Rao, (8th edition 2004, 9th edition 2007 and 10th edition 2011); and his co-edited books titled “Alternative Dispute Resolution: Prospects and Challenges 2020”, “Surrogacy: Law, Policy and Practice 2020”, “Children, Law and Society 2019”, “Women, Law and Society 2019”, “Law Relating to Sexual Harassment: Practice and Procedure”, “Law, Judiciary and Governance 2017”, and “Global Perspectives in Consumer Law, 2011”,are especially noteworthy. He has experience at the Bar prior to teaching. He has worked on several projects including projects commissioned by the National Commission for Women, New Delhi on “Coparcenary Rights of Women in Andhra Pradesh”; “A Study of Law and Nanotechnology: Exploring the Dimensions for Tackling the Nanotechnology Revolution with Special Relevance to Human Rights and Environment” funded by the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, New Delhi; he also worked on a two-year Collaborative Research Project tilted “Non Resident Indians (NRI) Marriages: Need for a New Legal Regime” for which a grant was supported by the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India and Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, New Delhi. Prof. Kumar has participated and presented papers in several National and International Conferences/ Seminar/ Webinars/ Conclaves. He had also participated in the Law Teachers Programme on “Law Teaching and Legal Research Skills” at Cardiff Law School, (UK) in 2004. He has been a visiting faculty at National Academy of Direct Taxes (NADT), Nagpur (2005-2014) and Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab (Patiala) since 2015. Prof. Kumar has been and is a member of many committees of the UGC, NAAC, NIRF, NITI AAYOG, UPSC etc. and contributed in holistic growth of legal education and profession. Prof. Kumar advocates for Socratic and Cooperative Methods of teaching-learning pedagogy and ICT based techniques while helping faculty members in designing of the Course Curriculum of law and allied disciplines. For many years now, he has been a member of Board of Studies, Academic Planning and Monitoring Board, Academic Council, Executive Council, and General Council of many NLUs and other universities. As the Registrar of NALSAR and as the Vice-Chancellor of NLUJA, Assam he used his administrative skills to promote all-round growth of the universities. Now, he is on a mission to establish a new National Law University in the city of Nagpur with student centric outlook which should be a world class university in the due course of time.^[9]

References[]