Bar Council turns down applications for 55 law colleges

The council’s decision came after its members held day-long deliberations on the applications BCI received between July and December 2019.

The Bar Council of India (BCI) on Saturday rejected applications by 55 colleges asking for recognition to start fresh law courses, a move seen as an attempt to restrict the number of institutions offering undergraduate legal studies courses.

The Bar Council of India (BCI) on Saturday rejected applications by 55 colleges (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The council’s decision came after its members held day-long deliberations on the applications BCI received between July and December 2019. The majority of the applications was from institutions in Uttar Pradesh. The BCI’s move could potentially spur a series of litigation, a senior member said.

According to the procedure, institutions approach the council for approval of affiliation after a state university grants it. Being the apex disciplinary body for lawyers, the BCI is also the regulator for legal education. “The procedure requires the college to first develop infrastructure and then apply to the state govern