Law students oppose need for nationality certificate

Students stand to lose their enrolment if they fail to produce the certificate

The Student Law Council, a city-based students' group, filed a writ petition in the Bombay high court on Thursday, challenging the requirement of a nationality certificate for admission to law colleges. 

The petition also challenged the age limit imposed on law aspirants by the Bar Council of India.(HT File Photo)

The court is likely to hear the petition next week. 

The plea comes at a time when law aspirants are scrambling to get the certificate after the state's Common Entrance Test (CET) cell, on September 20, issued a notification stating that students who have secured provisional admission in colleges are required to furnish a certificate of nationality and other documents before the third round of admissions, which start on Saturday. The students stand to lose their enrolment if they fail to produce the certificate, noted the circular. 

The petitioner said it was unfair of the state to ask students to produce nationality certificates at the eleventh hour. "The state should have informed the aspirants about the requirement of the certificate at least a month or two ago. How will they get the certificate in such a short span of time?" said Sachin Pawar, president, Student Law Council. 

The petition, which was earlier filed as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and later converted to a writ petition at the court's insistence, also challenged the age limit imposed on law aspirants by the Bar Council of India. In a Septmber 17 letter to law colleges in the state, BCI had stated students must be below 20 (22 for reserved category) and 30 (35 for reserved category), at the time of admission in the five-year and three-year LLB courses, respectively. 

The age-criteria has become a bone of contention in law admissions, which are already marred by confusion and incessant delays. Despite the BCI directive, the state has decided to admit over-aged aspirants this year. 

Another PIL, challenging the age criteria, was filed in HC on Monday by Yasmin Tavaria, an advocate and  apart-time teacher at Government law College, Churchgate.