Meet Our New 3-Year LLB (Hons) Students | AY 2023-24

Hardik Anand

Your background: I am a civil engineer who completed my undergraduate degree in Engineering from Madhav Institute of Technology and Science, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh in 2020. Before joining NLSIU, I worked as a project supervisor and quantity estimator in a construction firm for a year and later handled my family business as an office manager. Along with my work, I was also preparing for competitive exams.

Attraction towards law: Since my childhood I have always been enticed by the courage of lawyers and their contribution to the upliftment of society. It started from reading stories of Mr. Gandhi, Mr. Nehru, Mr. Ambedkar, Mr. Patel, etc. on the insistence of my parents and later became a hobby as well as a source of motivation for me. Coming from a legislative background, my parents had always talked highly about the legal profession so the interest of becoming a lawyer began from there. I had also appeared for CLAT in 2016 but was not able to secure admission at the time. With my family’s encouragement, I then took up engineering.

While working in the construction firm, I noticed various rules that were easily ignored (and I perhaps ignored a few of them myself) with regard to the building safety norms, land policies, violation of building codes, and so on. This observation, along with reading newspapers made me more aware of the various challenges that we face in the society, which ultimately led to my decision of enrolling in the 3-year LLB (Hons) programme. I switched from a construction firm to my family business and began my preparation to get into this reputed institution. With hard work, regular reading of current affairs, and most importantly writing practice, I was finally able to qualify the NLSAT 2023 and got into NLSIU.

What do you look forward to at NLS: 

Coming to NLSIU is obviously exciting, the campus with its rich history and diversity along with the feeling one has about finally becoming a part of it. The faculty and peers here push you to do more, be more, achieve more. Maybe this is the reason that NLS has produced lawyers who have made a mark. From what I’ve seen so far, the environment on this campus is such that it helps in the development of one’s personality which I find most amazing.

On the other hand, it is academically rigourous, and we are required to complete daily assignments and readings based on which we have several discussions in the classrooms. To be frank, switching from Science background to that of Law has its advantages as well as challenges. Case study visualization gets easier, but at the same time, reading theory with the case reports and legal jargons can be quite challenging. But as the saying goes, where there is will, there is a way, so I am enjoying this new journey that I am on.

Interest/Hobbies: I like reading novels (non-fiction), newspaper articles, collecting coins, playing guitar, and travelling.

Veena S Reddy

Your background:

I’m a proud Bangalorean, born and raised in the city. I hail from a family of Chartered Accountants and hold a triple degree qualification – Bachelor of Commerce, Chartered Accountancy and Company Secretaryship (AIR 3). Prior to joining NLSIU, I worked with the multinational firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), in the Transaction advisory services division, performing financial due diligence majorly for start-ups; and with HNA & Co. LLP (formerly known as Hiregange & Associates LLP), a reputed Chartered Accountancy firm in India specialising in GST and Indirect Taxes, where I worked in the Consultancy & Advisory division.

What attracted you to law/ law school:

I was always inclined towards the legal profession from the very beginning. Working in GST consultancy reignited my passion towards pursuing law as a career and I look forward towards becoming a commercial, corporate, and taxation advocate.

What do you look forward to at NLS: 

I look forward to becoming a professionally sound advocate in the future, but I want to experience overall holistic development through academics, extracurriculars and beyond during my time here at NLS.

Your Interests & hobbies:

In my leisure time, I engage in multiple activities including yoga, dance, honing oratory skills, travelling, etc.

Aniruddha Oak

Background & journey so far: 

I spent my childhood in the city of Indore. After that, I have been based in places like New Delhi, Hisar, Pune, Ahmedabad, Sri Ganganagar, Mumbai and Chennai. I have been in Bengaluru for the last 17 years. Living in so many different locations has broadened my perspective and has also helped me feel comfortable with a motley group of people.

I am probably the oldest student at in the programme as I possess more than 25 years of work experience!! I hold a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from IIM Ahmedabad and have worked in companies like IBM, Intel, Accenture, etc., in various roles. For the last 6 years, I was working at a premier University in Bengaluru, teaching Finance subjects like Financial Management, Derivatives, Behavioural Finance, and Finance Through Films to MBA students. Then I decided to do something different and applied for admission at NLSIU as I had developed an interest in the field of law over a period of time.

What attracted you to law/ law school:

Law permeates practically every aspect of our life. Today, the nation is confronted with many contentious issues in different areas like Uniform Civil Code, Sedition Law, Role of Governors, Marital Rape, etc. I look forward to working hard at NLSIU to develop myself into an individual who will be able to have a significant say towards shaping the future of the country. During the next three years, I also intend to continue feeling young in the company of the young and the vibrant crowd around me!

Interests & hobbies: 

My hobbies and interests include travelling, playing chess, reading, listening to/watching Youtube videos, and perpetually trying to lose weight!

 Abhishek Kona

Your background and why you chose to take up law:

I come from the coastal city of Visakhapatnam, born in Assam, new Jalpaiguri. I did my schooling in the Navy Children School, and pursued an undergraduate degree in Commerce at Dr. Lankapalli Bullayya College (affiliated to Andhra University), Vizag. I then went on to prepare for civil services for two years in Hyderabad. The desire to pursue law entered my mind in the final year of my degree programme, where I was taught mercantile law by a practicing lawyer. This desire was strengthened when I joined civil services coaching where I was taught Indian Polity by a renowned lawyer who practices in the High Court of Telangana.

My teachers have also played a massive role in igniting my desire to study law, by showing me the effect of lawyers’ work in advancing positivity and taking up concerns of human rights in society. Further, I also drew inspiration from within my family through (i) my grandfather who is known for his contributions towards recognition of dalit rights in AP, and (ii) my father who gave me direct insight into law enforcement in agency areas of Vizag by sharing his experiences as a police inspector.

Finally, the most important factor of attraction towards the programme, and the bedrock of my motivation, is the intrinsic value I place upon the study of law itself – the way it arouses my curiosity, and quenches my thirst for a deeper understanding of human rights and the operation of law in society.

What do you look forward to at NLS: 

I want to make the best use of all opportunities I can get at NLS. I want to write research papers, participate in moots, debates and negotiation competitions, and become a part of the various committees of NLS. But my main motivation behind coming to NLS is to be taught law by the best legal minds in the country. I consider it an honour to be under the pedagogy of professors who are leading scholars in their fields. I am also extremely pleased to be a part of a diverse cohort which enriches my learning experience every single day. Such a diverse cohort makes way for meaningful and practical insights into the study of law by providing perspectives of legal concepts from the point of views of their own fields of work and study. I have to admit, I am learning as much from my peers as I do from some of my professors.

Your interests and hobbies:

My hobbies include reading books and boxing, both of which have contributed immensely in my journey of self-improvement, imbibing in me the values of hard work, persistence, and courage to face the problems I come across in daily life.