Hopeful future: Students take a stroll on the campus of Chanakya National Law University in Patna. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Patna, Aug. 23: “Investment: Rs 100 crore, result: 80 unemployed youths” screamed a placard held up by students of Chanakya National Law University (CNLU) during their hunger strike in April this year. The students from the first batch of the varsity were agitated over big promises and zero placements.

In just four months, the scenario has reversed in favour of students. The beneficiaries, however, are the second-batch students, who have just been promoted to the fifth year.

More than eight months are left for the fifth-year students to complete their course and companies have started visiting the campus and offering salaries as high as Rs 60,000 per month.

Three students from the institute — Bharati Mahanta, Shardha Sahay, and Kumar Sumit — have been offered jobs on the annual package of Rs 7.2 lakh each. The firm hiring them in Pangea3, a Mumbai-based legal process-outsourcing firm.

The students, obviously, are elated over the interest shown by the law firm.

Bharati, who had completed her matriculation from DAV Hehal, Ranchi, and intermediate from St Xavier’s College, Ranchi, told The Telegraph: “It was great feeling for me when I came to know that I have been selected for the jobs after clearing three levels of test.”

Pangea3 first conducted an online test, then a group discussion and later an interview with the students before selecting three students of the 18 candidates.

Apart from Pangea3, many other companies have shown inclination to visit the institute in the coming months. The New Delhi branch of ALMT Legal and Calcutta-based Argus Partners have agreed to visit the institute for placements soon.

The students of CNLU claimed the institute and the placement cell had worked hard on inviting companies to visit the campus.

A fifth-year student of the institute, not keen to reveal his identity, said: “Just few months ago, situation in CNLU was different with no companies showing interest in hiring any student. Agitated over the lack of placement offers, students had demonstrated against the varsity administration and even gone on hunger strike. Now, things are looking much better.”

Abhiraj, a passout from CNLU, said: “We were compelled to go on hunger strike as neither the government nor the university administration was ready to hear our grievances.”

Rachit Ranjan, a research associate of varsity, said: “Last year, the placement scenario was not good as we did not have a proper placement cell. However, things have changed this year.”

Ranjan claimed DH Law Associates from Mumbai and R Singhvi & Associates from Calcutta have made pre-placement offer to two CNLU students.