Nagpur: Chief Justice of India Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai on Sunday urged Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU), Nagpur, to establish itself as a centre of global academic excellence. Speaking at the inauguration of the university’s new administrative building, CJI Gavai stressed that while the university has been built with dedication, it is now the responsibility of its faculty to shape the skills and future of students. “Ultimately, it is the faculty that will define the university’s reputation,” he remarked.
The Chief Justice also laid the foundation stone for the university’s new library, calling the occasion a matter of personal pride and a significant milestone for the institution. The grand ceremony was attended by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, and a distinguished gathering of legal luminaries, marking yet another step in MNLU Nagpur’s journey towards becoming a world-class academic institution.
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27 June 2025
Delivering his final speech as Chancellor of the university, CJI Gavai reflected on the journey that led to the creation of MNLU Nagpur. “What you see today began over a decade ago with just two floors in the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court. The land acquisition required legal intervention in the form of High Court Bar Association vs State of Maharashtra. We drafted the concept document in the summer of 2017 and were supported by solar technology and administrative will,” he recalled.
The CJI Gavai credited a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the High Court Bar Association (HCBA) for breaking the bureaucratic deadlock that stalled the university’s development. Speaking at the inauguration of MNLU’s new administrative block on Sunday, marking the completion of the first phase of campus infrastructure, CJI Gavai recounted a decade-long journey shaped by legal activism, political support, and administrative resolve.
“We know that Chief Ministers and leaders often have good intentions when it comes to supporting the judiciary, but bureaucratic red tape can delay action. That’s why the PIL by HCBA, led by counsel Sudhir Puranik, played a crucial role. When the land issue wasn’t resolved, it was through the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court’s orders that we secured this location, now part of an emerging education hub,” Gavai said, referring to the area adjacent to IIIT and Kavikulguru Kalidas Sanskrit University.
CJI Gavai thanked all those who contributed to the growth of the institution, especially the successive State Governments. “CM Devendra Fadnavis committed Rs 500 crore to this university in its early stages, and Uddhav Thackeray’s Government continued that support. Guardian Ministers and officials worked tirelessly. Today, this institution stands as a testament to what collective resolve can achieve.”
He expressed satisfaction with the completion of Phase I of the university and said the responsibility of carrying forward its mission now lies with its academic community. “The university must uphold the highest standards in legal education, and I am confident about handing over the mantle to the right hands,” CJI Gavai said.
Designed by internationally renowned architects and powered by solar energy, the new administrative building represents a model for environmentally conscious academic infrastructure. Other dignitaries present included Justices Dipankar Datta, PrasannaVarale, Atul Chandurkar, Alok Aradhye, Nitin Sambre, Bharati Dangre, and Anil Kilor; former Supreme Court judge Vikas Sirpurkar; Solicitor GeneralTushar Mehta; Advocate General Dr Birendra Saraf;ViceChancellorVijender Kumar; and Registrar Ragini Kubalkar.
