Teaching the Law, Weathering the Storm: Faculty Burnout and Mental Health in Indian Jurisprudential Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29070/r3xw2518Keywords:
Legal Education, Faculty Burnout, India, Mental Health, Jurisprudence, Pedagogy, UGC, Institutional ReformAbstract
Although there is a lot of discussion on student wellness, the psychological well-being of Indian law professors is still a "silent sidebar." This study examines the growing problem of teacher burnout in the particular context of Indian legal education, which is marked by significant administrative workloads, the "publish or perish" requirement of UGC regulations, and the emotional labour of mentoring in demanding settings. The paper demonstrates how chronic stress jeopardises both the long-term viability of legal academia and the quality of jurisprudential instruction by examining the junction of traditional pedagogical expectations and contemporary institutional demands. The study makes the case for a structural paradigm change by identifying systemic pressures through a qualitative lens, such as accreditation-driven bureaucracy and the digital "always-on" mentality. In order to protect the builders of the legal profession, the paper's conclusion suggests a thorough "Wellness Protocol" for Indian law schools and advocates for institutionalised mental health care and policy changes by the Bar Council of India.
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