LLB seats: HC gives BCI a day to decide on DU representation

The Delhi High Court today asked the Bar Council of India (BCI) to consider Delhi University's (DU) representation for increasing seats in its LLB course and to take a decision by tomorrow evening.

While issuing the direction to BCI, a bench of Justices Sunil Gaur and C Hari Shankar asked the lawyers' body why it settled on a figure of 1,440 seats for DU law faculty and not 2,000.

"Why 1,440 and why not 2,000? More students can have education. Why should it be curtailed?" the bench asked BCI and told it to communicate its decision to the court on June 7.
 

It also termed as "unfair" the varsity's decision to seek reconsideration of BCI's decision to cap the number of seats at 1,440 after its representation had been rejected by the lawyers body last year and which DU had accepted.

The varsity had sought permission to increase its seats for the law course saying it had improved its infrastructure and increased the strength of its teaching faculty.

The bench observed that BCI had not capped the seats because of lack of infrastructure and therefore, its improvement would not entitle the varsity to seek increase in seats offered for the course.

It, however, allowed the university to advertise for 1,440 seats only for its law course, as done last year, and said it would be subject to final outcome of a plea seeking increase of the seats to 2,310.

The order came during a hearing of a petition by lawyer Joginder Kumar Sukhija who claimed that a large number of students, especially those who have done their graduation, would be affected if the seats were reduced.

The petition also said that by reducing the seats, public money, which is used to provide grant to the varsity, was not being put to optimal use.

The PIL sought a direction to strike down clause 5 A of Schedule-III of Rules of Legal Education 2008 enacted by the BCI, claiming it was arbitrary, capricious and violative of fundamental rights.

Under Rule 5 A, a law college can admit only 300 students each year.

As DU has three law centres, it can have a total of 900 seats only. But BCI as an exception has allowed the varsity to admit additional 180 seats per centre for reserved categories, the lawyers body told the court.