Labourer’s daughter bags prestigious National Forensic Sciences University LLM seat in criminal law

Visakhapatnam: The journey of Satyala Anjanapriya, a recent law graduate from Andhra University, is a story of determination. The daughter of a daily wage labourer from a small village near Ongole, she is the only candidate from South India to secure admission to the LLM (criminal law) programme at the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), Gandhinagar in Gujarat, this year.She completed her schooling in government institutions before pursuing Intermediate at a private college in Vijayawada. She later secured the 88th rank in AP LAWCET, earning admission to the five-year integrated BA, LLB programme at Dr B R Ambedkar College of Law, Andhra University, from where she graduated in 2025.Her journey, however, was far from easy. Financial constraints were a constant challenge. She also had to overcome several social challenges during her academic journey, but remained focused on her goal of pursuing a career in law.

And she was unable to avail herself of government scholarships due to technical issues. Instead, she continued her education with the support of scholarships from private foundations.

“Without those scholarships, it would have been very difficult for me to continue my education,” she said.Determined to pursue higher studies, she appeared for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), scoring 70 out of 120 marks, and applied to the National Forensic Sciences University campuses in Gandhinagar and Delhi.

She secured admission to the LL.M. (criminal law) programme at the Gandhinagar main campus, which offers only 20 seats, becoming the only candidate from South India selected this year.Speaking to TOI, Anjanapriya said she chose criminal law because of her keen interest in the field and hopes to become a judicial officer. She also wants to gain a deeper understanding of forensic science and its growing role in strengthening the criminal justice system.She credited Andhra University for laying a strong academic foundation. “The central library and the department of law library became my second home. My professors continuously guided and encouraged me to pursue higher studies,” she said.She also acknowledged the encouragement of her seniors at Andhra University, particularly Soma Sekhar Kondeti, an advocate practising at the Andhra Pradesh high court, who motivated her to apply to NFSU and guided her through the admission process.According to Andhra University officials, Anjanapriya is the first law graduate from the university to secure admission to the NFSU Gandhinagar main campus, which functions under the Union ministry of home affairs. NFSU is the world’s first university dedicated exclusively to forensic sciences and allied disciplines. The LLM (criminal law) programme at its Gandhinagar campus admits only 20 students every year.