Interview: Prof. (Dr.) Anand Kumar Tripathi | Director In-Charge School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences, Rashtriya Raksha University
Prof. (Dr.) Anand Kumar Tripathi hails from a rural area located in Sultanpur district of Uttar Pradesh and did his schooling from his village – Deoria. After completion of 10+2, he went to the University of Allahabad for higher education. He did his graduation in Hindi literature, English literature and Medieval History in the year 1992. He did… Read More »
Prof. (Dr.) Anand Kumar Tripathi hails from a rural area located in Sultanpur district of Uttar Pradesh and did his schooling from his village – Deoria. After completion of 10+2, he went to the University of Allahabad for higher education. He did his graduation in Hindi literature, English literature and Medieval History in the year 1992. He did LL.B from the same university in the year 1995. Immediately after completion of LL.B, he started preparing for competitive examinations. Fortunately, he got selected in Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) and also cleared two stages of juridical examination but destiny brought him here (in the teaching domain).
He completed his LLM from the Department of Law, University of Allahabad. In the year 2006, he cleared CRAT (Common Research Admission Test) and was awarded a fellowship from University Grant Commission. He also did One-year Diploma in the Urdu Language from the National Council of Promotion of Urdu Language, New Delhi.
He has credited publications in Journals of reputes in both International and National. He has also got a registered copyrights certification on a book entitled ‘BHARTIYA DAND SANHITA: EK KAVYAKHNATH’. He was also invited to ANADOLU University, Istanbul as a guest speaker in a conference ‘access to justice’.
Legal Bites: Sir, before entering the field of law, you were pursuing Literature. What prompted you to take law as a career?
Prof. (Dr.) Anand Kumar Tripathi: At the outset, I convey my hearty wishes to the Legal Bites for giving me an opportunity to share my views and experiences. I thought that there are huge relations between literature and law. During my graduation in literature I was taught ‘Ayodhya Kand’ and ‘Arms and the Man’ in the given books at various places there is good connectivity of law like when Hanuman went to Lanka and started destroying the garden and other things but he was not put to punishment.
It is due to the concept of international law where persons from other countries (even from the enemy country) are treated as foreign delegates (envoy). I had also an inclination towards literature from childhood. Therefore, I studied law after graduation in literature.
Legal Bites: Sir, since you have been both a law student and a professor, what difference have you seen in the curriculum of both times? Also, would you like to suggest a few changes to the pre-existing legal studies?
Prof. (Dr.) Anand Kumar Tripathi: Both have its own taste. In studentship generally, a student looks for knowledge as well as future prospects. Certain restraints were also experienced during my studentship at the University of Allahabad what generally in professorship doesn’t happen. If you are discharging your duties as a teacher you must have to look more about students’ progression but when you are a student you are not supposed to do so. At a time a professor acts student as well as a teacher but the student always remains a student.
In modern legal education, absenteeism is a big challenge. This should be taken care of as the object the legal education is to enhance the practical knowledge of the students. It would be worth quoting that the Bar Council of India should play a proactive role in improving legal education i.e. fair inspection, proper investigation of documents, the strength of faculties, infrastructure is a few.
Legal Bites: Sir, since you are an expert in Cyber Law, do you think that the present legal structure has some deficiencies and if yes, then what changes do you suggest for the same?
Prof. (Dr.) Anand Kumar Tripathi: Yes, there are. In the present legal system, any matter related to Cyber Laws are dealt through various provisions of law. In the year 2000, when Information Technology Act came into being, it was for the purpose to validate and facilitate e-documents but due to the advent of technology, the ratio of Cybercrimes are increasing day by day. Be it shopping, contract, tender, payment of income tax, billing etc.
For tackling such kinds of issues our existing provisions are inadequate to deal with the problem related to Cybercrimes. Though, the Indian Penal Code, IT Act, Contract Act and other Parent Laws somehow help to resolve the cyber-related issues. Apex Court of the country acts as a catalyst from time to time to work in this directions. Therefore, a comprehensive legislative framework and safeguards are required to be enacted.
Legal Bites: Sir, you have successfully held various workshops on diverse subjects. How do you think one can organise workshops in the present pandemic situation in a safe manner?
Prof. (Dr.) Anand Kumar Tripathi: Current pandemic situation has some bitter as well as good experiences. It has become very handy to engage with someone. It was handy earlier also but pandemic has evolved a common practice in research and academia to have a live discussion through various digital platforms. Therefore, in my view, the safer side for all of us is to avoid gathering and follow COVID protocol by all means. Through the digital platform, any desirous may organize seminars, conferences, workshops, lectures, popular talks as we have been doing since March 2020.
Legal Bites: Sir, how do you think you have contributed more significantly than the non-Ph.D. faculties?
Prof. (Dr.) Anand Kumar Tripathi: I feel privileged to share that I started my career as a teacher from one of the institutions of repute i.e. Gujarat National Law University, where I was groomed in the research area also and in a very short span of time I created two publications (edited version) in my account as a teacher.
As per our existing system, a PhD holder has various opportunities. He can act as a guide for PhD research scholars and become a member of the doctoral committee boards and also up to some extent can bring funds from sponsored agencies. Thus, I acted in the same direction what non-Ph.D employees can’t.
Legal Bites: Sir, according to you, how much weightage should be given to practical type legal question in examinations?
Prof. (Dr.) Anand Kumar Tripathi: This is a very good question. It should be at least 50-50 in ratio because the law in practice and law in codebook both are different. No one can ignore theoretical knowledge of the law but it should be in blended form, practical and theoretical.
Legal Bites: You have been so successful in managing numerous roles at the same time efficiently. What gives you the motivation and power to manage these roles simultaneously in a perfect manner?
Prof. (Dr.) Anand Kumar Tripathi: It depends upon the passion and enthusiasm of any individual one. I always have taken myself as a fortunate one to work as a teacher. There are huge opportunities in this field which prompted me to work in a miscellaneous capacity. It is well saying that ‘Opportunity knocks at the door but once’ and I took this saying in letter and spirit both.
Due to the grace of almighty God, I got the opportunities and I also justified my roles in various capacities like Director In-charge, Research and Development, Head of Department of Law and at present working in the capacity of Director In-charge and Faculty of Law at School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences.