Dr. Tharanath is the Principal of SDM Law College Mangalore. She holds a Bachelor of Academic Law degree and an L.L.B. degree from S.D.M. Law College Mangalore. Thereafter, she went on to complete a LLM, a PhD, and an MBA in Human Resource Management. Besides her academic duties, she is also a member of the Board of Examinations at Mangalore University, a member of the South Asian Association of Clinical Law Teachers, an examiner for the Company Secretaries examinations, and more.

Dr. Tharanth regularly publishes papers in her area of expertise. She has published over 15 papers in renowned international and national journals. Moreover, she has presented 31 papers at conferences while also serving as an invited speaker at some. She regularly takes part in workshops and faculty development programs to keep herself up to date.

SDM LAW College Mangalore

You have held key positions at an education institute throughout your professional career. What are the key factors that keep you connected with the education sector? 

Education builds character, which in turn shapes a civic society. If we were to establish a ‘rule of law’ rather than a ‘rule by men’, we would need assessments and experimentation in education, whichever the field may be. Holding a key position in the institution certainly helps me to dive into stagnation, obsolescence, and conservatism and enables me to learn from reality. We need stabilization in education rather than dismantling the edifice on which our traditional education system is built.

Being the Principal of SDM Law College Mangalore, how do you strategize about the key programs and plans for the marketing and administration of your school? 

SDM is a brand. We never require marketing for our programmes. However, we do things differently that attract the attention of society. The programmes are contemplated, visualised, and organized in such a manner that the rest of the crowd thinks that they never thought about them. To give an example, all law colleges conduct mock trials. Mangalore is a hub of medical education. A host of laws govern the medical profession, starting from the setting of medical college to all processes associated with the medical profession. This year, we have conducted an exclusive ‘Medico-legal Mock trial’ wherein our students played the role of medical practitioner, victims, experts, etc. and they were crisscrossed by a panel of juries consisting of eminent doctors, lawyers, consumer experts, etc. The entire session is watched by medical students from nearly all medical colleges who have immensely benefited from it. Therefore, any of the law colleges could have done it, but we took the initiative to do it first.

How does the curriculum of SDM Law College, ensure the best practice of industry? 

Altering the curriculum and courses for most of the affiliated colleges under an university is not possible. However, we supplement and supplant the curriculum by looking into market requirements and conducting value addition and training programs. For a student of BA LLB who has never had access to study accountancy, or HRMS, we offer certificate courses in these subjects. A student of BBA who has never learned sociology or public administration learns the same through our value addition programs. Our law student's curriculum is also strengthened by a host of internship programs.

Any insights into how your college could be more welcoming to students of different races or economic backgrounds? 

Our college was established way back in 1974 under one of the fourfold dharmas of Shri.Shethra Dharmasthala, out of which one dharma is ‘Nyyadana’. The aim of our beloved President Dharmadikari Poojya, Dr. D. Veerendra Heggadeji, is to provide legal education to every man in the street. We cater to all sections of society without discrimination on any basis. The college never charges donations or extra fees and helps all students on the basis of their economic/social backgrounds. This has been appreciated by the top journals in our country, who have opined that legal education in SDM stands for the best value for its affordability.

What do you see as SDM Law College’s greatest strengths? 

Our greatest strength is our ‘humility’ which is the blessing of our President Dr.D.Veerendra Heggadeji. We also have awards, rewards, alumni achievements, ranks and medals won by our students and faculty because of this quality of humility amidst us in all our endeavors.

Check SDM LAW College Mangalore Placement

What are some of the biggest challenges you see, both for higher education in general and for SDM Law College specifically? 

The challenge we face is now-a-days is political interference in the education system, which is undesirable. It spoils the academic ambiance and divides the student community. Any college can run into financial difficulty and a lack of student strength, and all these problems can be sorted out by sustained efforts. However, political interference, be it in admission or the campus atmosphere, adversely affects the institution’s development.

Any suggestions you would like to give to the current youth and the aspiring students?

Success knows no shortcuts. If the younger generation thinks that everything can be done through so-called ‘influence,’ they are all in the wrong world. The three D’s make all things in life. They are determination, dedication, and discipline. Keep learning and improving, and success will follow.

What are some plans that you’re currently (or will be) designing for SDM Law College international affairs and/or students? 

One of our goals is to build quality legal professionals who are excellent in their fields. International exposure is very desirable for us. We are learning from the best legal institutions in India with respect to the same and implementing them step by step.

What is the rate of admissions in your college? Has it increased from the last year?

Admission is one of the crucial areas where we have reached the stage of 100% satisfaction. The problem we encounter is whether we should go for entrance exams to filter the best of the students. However, this does not stand true to our vision of providing legal education to people who cannot afford the same, which is stated as our vision of ‘legal empowerment for an ethical society’. Attempts are being made from my side to convince the administration that an admission test is needed as demand for admission is on constant increase.

Do you have any extra-curricular activities/ programs to enhance the skills of the students or expose them to the real-world challenges? 

We have unique mooting events such as dual, triple, and all in all advocacy intra and inter college moot court competitions. The college has eight statutory cells, 12 students specific and 15 college specific committees or cells to promote co-curricular activities amongst the students. The college also has a functional ADR centre, or law lab, which is designed to help students learn law in action.

With the competition so high, how do you guide your students to survive in such a competitive scenario?

Survival in any competition depends on self-confidence. SDM emphasizes on ‘self-confidence’ for students by grooming their overall personalities. We strongly believe that learning from mistakes and evolving ourselves through hurdles makes students the most self-confident people in the world.