Law must drive social change, not just produce lawyers: CNLU VC Faizan Mustafa

Patna: Vice-chancellor of Chanakya National Law University (CNLU), Faizan Mustafa, on Thursday said the study of law should not be confined to producing lawyers or judges, but must also serve as an instrument of social transformation by empowering weaker sections of society.Inaugurating a state-level consultation on child marriage in Bihar, organised by the Child Rights Centre of CNLU in collaboration with an NGO, Mustafa urged law students to explore whether the law can act as an effective agent of social change. “Ground visits and research are essential components of legal studies,” he said.Referring to NFHS-5 (2019-21) data, Mustafa stressed that the Child Rights Centre at CNLU is actively engaged in implementing child-related laws. He called for all commissions and concerned organisations to work together to create public awareness and eradicate child marriage.Chairperson of the Bihar State Women Commission, Apsara, said social evils like child marriage would not end unless people were sensitised about the consequences. “Child marriage is a community problem and the entire community must rise against it,” she said.Survivors of child marriage shared their experiences, described ground realities in their areas, and set out their expectations from organisations working to prevent such practices.Representatives from the Bihar State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, the department of social welfare, Bihar Police, the State SC and ST Commission, the state education and rural development departments, the Women Development Corporation, and UN agencies discussed strategies in detail to curb child marriages.