The state has said it will start operations in the new NLS from this academic year. Chief minister J Jayalalithaa confirmed it earlier this month when she visited Trichy. Admissions have begun in arts and science colleges and will begin for engineering and medicine, but officials still haven't finalised the admission process for the law school.
Vice-chancellor of NLS Trichy N Murugavel said, "We will honour the CM's commitment and admit students from this academic year. Work is on to come out with the admission procedure. We are holding meetings often with officials to discuss the issue."
Admission to law courses run by the Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University and its seven affiliated colleges is done through the single window counselling system, coordinated by the university. Admissions for courses in deemed universities like SASTRA in Thanjavur are conducted using the scores secured by candidates in the nationwide common law admission test (CLAT).
Other National Law Schools across the country use CLAT scores to admit students through a centralised process, just like admission to the National Institutes of Technology is done using JEE (main) scores. Murugavel admits it is a little late for NLS Trichy to be part of the centralised admission process, as the CLAT committee released the first provisional allotment list in the first week of June.
"I went to Trichy to see if I can apply for the course at the NLS. I saw an impressive building coming up, but no way to find out if I can get admission this year. So, I am trying my luck at a deemed university," said Divya, an aspiring lawyer.
Sources said the admission process was likely to be coordinated by the Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar law University this year, but university officials refused to comment on this.
NLS Trichy is set to come up on 25 acres in Navalur Kuttapattu at a cost of 100 crore. Chief minister Jayalalithaa laid the foundation for the law school in February. The institution is expected to offer a five-year integrated honours course, based on the curriculum followed by other National Law Schools.