GLC Mumbai withdraws objection to use of its name in alumni podcast after governing council review

The Hindu

5 days ago

The Government Law College (GLC), Mumbai, has withdrawn its public notice dated July 31, 2025, which objected to the podcast GLC: Law and Lore using the institution's name. The withdrawal came after the matter was placed before the college's Governing Council, which expressed no objection to the continuation of the podcast. However, the principal has advised the team to add a disclaimer clarifying that the initiative is not officially affiliated with GLC. The students have, from the outset, maintained that they never claimed the podcast to be officially linked to the institute.
Background
The principal, Asmita Vaidya, had issued a notice to the student-creators of the podcast stating that the use of the name 'GLC' in the branding of the channel is unauthorised and misleading. The notice says, 'Government Law College, Mumbai, has no affiliation or association whatsoever with the platform 'GLC Law and Lore.' The institution has not endorsed, approved, or collaborated with this entity or its administrators. Any content published by 'GLC Law and Lore' does not reflect the views, policies, or official stance of Government Law College, Mumbai'.
The notice had requested that those running the podcast stop using the term 'GLC' in the channel's name and branding. It had also requested students to refrain from suggesting any formal connection with the Government Law College, Mumbai.
The students behind the podcast released a formal response stating that the initiative was always intended as a way of giving back to the college. They said that the podcast was started by four final-year students, now alumni, aimed at bridging the gap between current students and graduates of the institution. The statement said the podcast was independently funded, managed, and edited by the four students, with no institutional backing.
The students said, 'At no point have we claimed GLC: Law and Lore is officially affiliated with Government Law College. Neither we nor our guests have said anything that could remotely harm the college's reputation. If anything, our entire effort has been to celebrate it.'
While talking to The Hindu, Jinay Jain, one of the podcasters, said the college's official LinkedIn page had previously reshared posts from the podcast. The students also said they had reached out to the college administration initially, requesting formal collaboration, but due to no response, they started it as a student endeavour.
The podcast features conversations with notable GLC alumni from various fields, including law, public service, and entertainment. The students noted that every guest had been informed that the podcast was not an official initiative.
Alumni support
Many notable alumni of the institute stood up to support the students. One of them, Justice G.S. Patel, an alumnus of GLC, who appeared on the podcast, in a letter to the Principal, wrote, 'GLC is not a trademark nor a service mark. It is the name of an institution, and when we, and our students, use it, the intent is only to convey a sense of belonging.'
He questioned whether any episode had caused reputational harm and called the tone of the original notice unjustified and inconsiderate. He expressed concern over the threat of further appropriate action against students, saying, 'The threat of 'follow-up action' against students is contemptible and disgraceful. No head of an educational institution should go around threatening students with a lawsuit.'