Padma Shree Prof. (Dr.) N. R. Madhava Menon

Padma Shree Prof. (Dr.) N. R. Madhava Menon, the architect of the five-year integrated LL.B. Programme in India and the Founder Vice-Chancellor of the National Law School of India University, Bangalore and the National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata, has successfully endeavored to put Indian legal education at par with those of the developed countries. Prof. Menon started his teaching career at the Aligarh Muslim University, from where he obtained LL.M. and PhD. Degrees. He also served as head of the department at the Law Faculty in Delhi University in the mid 1980’s. Dr. Madhava Menon’s most significant contribution in the field of legal education has been the sea- change in popular attitudes towards legal education. Dr. Menon has been Member of the Law Commission of India, Member of several Expert Committees including the one on Legal Aid (1973), Civil Services Examination Reform (2000-2001), and Criminal Justice Reform (2002-2003), Police Act Drafting Committee (2005-2006) and the Committee on Draft National Policy on Criminal Justice (2006-2007) appointed by the Government of India. The Supreme Court of India appointed Prof. Menon as the first Director of the National Judicial Academy, a training institution for higher judiciary in Bhopal. Recognizing his contribution to public services, the President of India, Dr. A.P.J.Abdul Kalam honoured Dr. Menon with Padma Shree in the year 2003.