BCI de-recognises 30 law colleges

Updated on: Saturday, September 18, 2010

In a move to tone up the legal education system within the country, Bar Council of India decided to de-recognize over 30 law colleges while 20 others have been told improve infrastructures.

Furthermore, BCI has decided to approve only 20 of the 70 applications that came in for setting up of new law colleges. BCI sources said those issued notice likely to go up, as the council is still drawing up the final list.

De-recognition will be effective from the next academic year.

BCI has already discontinued the system of permanent recognition and has decided that law colleges will have to apply fresh recognition every year.

Also, if it comes to BCI's notice that any institute has obtained recognition through illegitimate means, it will be de-recognised immediately.

Confirming the decision, BCI chairperson Gopal Subramaniam said, "This is for the first time in the history of BCI that such a decision has been taken. It was done through a democratic process and after proper discussion."

Subramaniam, who is also the country's solicitor general, said BCI's review committee looked into the composition of faculty, salary of teachers and whether it was as per UGC scale and infrastructure. In many cases, he said, affiliation was given without the mandatory inspection.

"We issued showcause notice to colleges, state governments and universities and followed a democratic procedure. Most of the de-recognised institutions are in the private sector. We gave freedom to women's institutions and those in tribal areas," Subramaniam said.

BCI sources said, "The idea is to bring down the number of law colleges from 900 to 175. We do not want to replicate Medical Council of India. We want to bring together seven-eight colleges in an area and affiliate to one university. It will be easier to manage. Questionnaires were sent to 900 colleges about infrastructure and faculty and only 600 replied. We do not know if the remaining 300 exist or not."

BCI de-recognises 30 law colleges

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