Prof (Dr) Jyoti Bhakare has been appointed Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU), Nagpur for a period of five years.

The appointment was made by the University's Chancellor, Justice Atul S Chandurkar of the Supreme Court. The Chancellor's notification was published by MNLU Nagpur Registrar Deepak L Bhagwat on September 18.

Prof Bhakare succeeds Prof (Dr) Vijender Kumar, the University's founding VC. Kumar's exit from the post was followed by Prof (Dr) VP Tiwari assuming charge as Acting VC.

Bhakare is currently a Senior Professor of Law at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), and has been Director of the University's Law School since January 2022. She has been on the SPPU law faculty since 2009 and was the University's Officiating Registrar between August 2024 and January 2026. She was also Head of the Department of Law from 2019 to 2023.

Before joining SPPU, Bhakare was Officiating Principal at DES Law College, Pune from 2004 to 2009 and at Modern Law College, Pune from 2003 to 2004. She holds an LL.B. and an LL.M. from Shivaji University, Kolhapur.