LAW COLLEGES WILL BE ALLOWED ADMISSIONS WITH RIDERS

MUMBAI: The Bar Council of India (BCI), the apex regulating body for legal education in the country, appears to be softening its stand on the four law colleges in the city that have been barred from admitting students this year.

On Monday, the council’s Legal Education Committee (LEC) decided that if the four colleges — Government Law College in Churchgate, GJ Advani College in Bandra, Jitendra Chauhan College in Vile Parle and KC College in Churchgate — pay the fine imposed by the council and meet its norms, especially the faculty requirements, they will be allowed to conduct admissions.

The BCI is likely to approach the state government to get it to agree on appointing additional teachers, as all the four colleges are aided by government and need the state’s approval and funding for new teachers.

The BCI had barred four colleges from conducting admissions for the upcoming academic year, as the colleges do not have sufficient teachers and classrooms. The council has also fined 10 other colleges under University of Mumbai for failing to seek BCI’S recognition for the past several years. “Every college which fulfils the condition before September 5 will be granted permission, subject to LEC approval. We might ask the government to give us an undertaking that it will appoint teachers in three-four months,” said a member of LEC.

The students and professors are hoping that the issue will be resolved soon. “These are the top colleges of the city. Where will students go?” said Ashok Yende, director, University National Law School at MU.