Law student from Mumbai writes to HC chief justice seeking clarity over exams

The student, Samarvir Singh, said he approached the chief justice because the directives by the Maharashtra government and the Bar Council of India (BCI) over the exams are contradictory.

A fourth-year student of Government Law College, Churchgate, approached the chief justice of the Bombay high court (HC), seeking clarity over the status of exams for law students.

Students are now worried that even if the state allows them to clear the current academic year based on gradation formula, BCI will not accept their degree. (Kunal Patil/HT file photo. Representative image)

The student, Samarvir Singh, said he approached the chief justice because the directives by the Maharashtra government and the Bar Council of India (BCI) over the exams are contradictory.

Last month, Maharashtra minister for higher and technical education Uday Samant announced that all students, except those pursuing their final-year courses, will be promoted to the next class on the basis of their performance in the previous semester as well as in the internal exams of the current semester.

However, BCI in a circular dated June 9, announced that all promoted students will be declared ‘pass’ only if they appear for their final exam of the current semester in the next semester and directed colleges to hold an exam for the current semester in the next academic year.

“It is clarified that after reopening of colleges/universities, the universities shall conduct the end semester examination with respect to the year from which they have been promoted, within a reasonable period of time...in case they are unable to pass/clear any paper from the end semester, they shall have to clear the same before they are granted the degree,” stated the BCI release.

Students are now worried that even if the state allows them to clear the current academic year based on gradation formula, BCI will not accept their degree.

“Experimenting with online examinations with final-year students may impact their grades adversely. Online examinations will act against the interest of underprivileged students. We, therefore, stand by the decision of the state government to cancel examinations and demand the scrapping of exams for final-year students also. BCI conducts a qualifying examination [AIBE[ for registration, and hence missing out on one the end-semester examination won’t degrade the quality of the profession. We want a decision to be taken immediately as many students might lose out on their jobs or a full academic year while applying for further studies,” said Singh, adding that by approaching the judiciary, he hopes to bring clarity to all law students across the state.