Thiruvananthapuram, May 8: Renowned academician and father of modern Indian legal education Prof NR Madhava Menon died early Wednesday.
The 84-year old Menon died of age-related ailment at a private hospital here.
He is survived by his wife Rama Devi and son Ramesh Menon. The cremation will take place at Santhi Kavadam here this evening.
Menon was the founder Director of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) and the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, and the founder Vice Chancellor of the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS).
Menon was honored by Padma Award in 2003. He started his career in 1955 and began practice in Kerala High Court in 1956.
He was the first PhD of Faculty of Law, Aligarh Muslim University. He also served as a professor in University of Delhi.
He was also a member of the Delhi University panel which liaised with universities from the United States such as Harvard, Columbia, Michigan and Yale.
He served as a member of the Committee for Implementing Legal Aid Schemes (CILAS), which was formed under the chairmanship of V. R. Krishna Iyer, by the Indira Gandhi government, in connection with the Garibi Hatao programme.
In 1998, Menon was invited by the West Bengal Government to set up the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS).
As the first vice-chancellor, he is known to have developed its infrastructure and educational curriculum and held the post till 2003, when the Supreme Court of India asked him to take over the responsibility as the first director of the newly formed National Judicial Academy a training centre for judges where he worked till his retirement in 2006.
After the retirement, Menon was appointed by the Union Government as a member of the Commission on Centre-State Relations, a position he held till 2010.
He has also served as the Chairman of the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, and later, as the Chairman of the Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Thiruvananthapuram.
He was a former member of Law Commission of India and has been a member of the Committee on Restructuring of Higher Education in India as well as the Criminal Justice Reform committee.
Menon was a former member of the Board of Governors of the International Organization of Judicial Trainers (IOJT).
Kerala Governor Justice P Sathasivam condoled the demise of Menon.
In a message, the Governor said "I am deeply saddened by the demise of Prof N R Madhava Menon, whose insightful ideas modernised legal education in India. As an authority on legal and constitutional matters, he used his limitless erudition to build world class institutions and to enlighten generations of students."
"May his soul rest in peace," the Governor added.
Later, the Governor visited the house of Menon here and paid his last respect to the departed soul.
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who is also an advocate, mourned the demise of his mentor and said he had the privilege of being taught by him.
“Saddened by the demise of Prof NR Madhava Menon, a legal educator, scholar & jurist. He pioneered five year legal education & law schools in India. I had the privilege of being taught by him. My thoughts are with his family & students. May God render peace to the departed soul,” he tweeted.
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