Thirty-six years after revolutionizing legal education in India, the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in Bengaluru is embarking on a new chapter by launching a three-year BA (Hons) program in 2025. This move marks a significant shift in the institution's academic portfolio, expanding beyond its hallmark legal education to offer non-legal disciplines. 

The decision to diversify aims to position NLSIU as a multidisciplinary university, reflecting the evolving landscape of higher education and increasing competition from private institutions. However, it has also sparked debates over whether the university risks diluting its core mission as a pioneering legal institution. 

Since its inception in 1988, NLSIU has been synonymous with the five-year integrated BA.LLB programme, introduced by N R Madhava Menon, widely regarded as the father of modern legal education in India. The programme’s interdisciplinary approach—combining law, humanities, and social sciences—set a benchmark for legal education and became a model for other law schools across the country. 

As part of its expansion plans, the Karnataka government has provided seven additional acres of land to NLSIU on the Jnanabharati campus of Bangalore University on a lease basis for 30 years at a rate of Rs 50,000 per acre annually. This allocation complements NLSIU’s current 23-acre campus within the Bangalore University premises. 

While the addition of non-legal programs is part of a broader strategy to reimagine NLSIU’s role in higher education, it raises questions about balancing diversification with the preservation of its legacy as a leader in legal education.