Interview: Ms Bhumika Sharma, Assistant Professor, Jagran School of Law, Selaqui, Dehradun (Uttarakhand)
Hailing from a small town of Himachal Pradesh, Ms Bhumika Sharma has got opportunities and made the most out of them. Getting published in acclaimed Journals; selection of the conference papers in prestigious forums gives her the kick to keep doing more reading and research. She has constantly done research on the topics which interest or bother her… Read More »
Hailing from a small town of Himachal Pradesh, Ms Bhumika Sharma has got opportunities and made the most out of them. Getting published in acclaimed Journals; selection of the conference papers in prestigious forums gives her the kick to keep doing more reading and research. She has constantly done research on the topics which interest or bother her such as the rights of women and animals.
She has won the Best Researcher Award in the “International Young Scholars Conference 2021” organised by Suleyman Demirel University, Kazakhstan in May 2021.
She was conferred Best Presentation Award in – “1st International Conference on Multidisciplinary Industry and Academic Research 2020” organised by the Institute of Industry and Academic Research Incorporated in Quezon, the Philippines in December 2020; in “Black Sea Summit – 4th International Congress” organised by International Academy of Science, Artvin, Turkey September 2020 and in “El Ruha 7th International Conference on Social Sciences” organised by American University of Libya, Libya August 2020.
Here’s the excerpt from the Interview with Ms Bhumika Sharma.
Legal Bites: Ma’am, tell us something about yourself as an Academician, what motivated you to take up law as a career?
Ms Bhumika Sharma: When I joined my graduation, I had no idea about academics. As years passed, I developed an interest in the teaching profession. I always feel that as an Academician, it is an opportunity to always stay young with the young minds. The motivation of becoming an Academician of law has been to keep on learning new things for myself and my students.
Legal Bites: Ma’am, as an Academician, what habits and qualities helped you achieve so many credits in reputed journals, workshops and a remarkable academic career?
Ms Bhumika Sharma: I feel the interest in a particular activity always helps. Hard work, punctuality, dedication, and sincerity are my keywords.
Legal Bites: Ma’am, you have significant contributions in the areas of Cyber laws as well as Human Rights, considering the current situation, how far are we from achieving a balance between Freedom of Speech as well as Right to privacy?
Ms Bhumika Sharma: The democratic situation in India right now is not as envisioned by our Constitution makers. The internet has on one side widened the scope of the freedom of speech and expression. At the same, newer and unreasonable government regulations have come up. India is moving backwards in terms of digital freedom and a downward trend is noticeable in the past few years.
Legal Bites: Ma’am, we see an increasing trend of Webinars nowadays wherein a large number of students enrol themselves. Do you think the trending webinars are able to bridge the gap of learning and discussion in physical seminars and workshops?
Ms Bhumika Sharma: One of the benefits of Webinars nowadays is that students get to join and discuss without the need of physically going to some institute. Similarly, one is able to get international exposure. Depending upon the current situation, webinars are playing a very important role. Sometimes, they also help to achieve mental peace amid continuous chaos. Definitely, the knowledge gap is filled by the webinars, especially the free webinars.
Legal Bites: Ma’am, what habits and areas should an LL.M student or a Research Scholar should focus on during their early graduation?
Ms Bhumika Sharma: Practice is the beginning. Out of my own experience, I can say that I started reading and research during the final year of my graduation. The guidance and motivation from my faculty still keep me going. The students need to focus on reading the original/primary literature. Rather than reading judgments from news portals, the websites of Courts should be consulted to download the judgments. Similarly, the books by jurists should also be read in original, alongside the textbooks.
Legal Bites: Ma’am, a lot of students could not attend their first semester in college, while a lot of them are graduating in the middle of a pandemic amidst all the chaos. What message would you like to give them?
Ms Bhumika Sharma: I would say – don’t worry, time will pass. Our health and safety are crucial. Being at home is ensuring safety to a great extent. This is the simplest thing we all can do. Rather than worrying over things, we cannot change, let us try to focus on what we have.
Legal Bites: Ma’am, do you think often the parents and the Faculty forget the need for mental peace of the students? How can the young students get de-stressed?
Ms Bhumika Sharma: Covid has drawn attention to mental health once again. The governments are also taking note of the subject of mental health of the students and the teachers. Covid or after Covid, all of us must have some hobbies beyond our academic or professional lives. Participating in a Moot Competition is still part of academic life. So, the students should pursue hobbies which give a break from studies and give them happiness.
My message is don’t stop even if you fall. Hard work and patience don’t go waste.