Students gear for first Bar Exam

The Bar Council of India (BCI) has come up with a ruling stating law colleges or universities are liable to be de-recognised if their students fail to take the AIBE. Online registration for the exam will begin from Wednesday and can be done online.

Shashikala Gurpur,principal,Symbiosis Law School and part-time member of the Law Commission,said the college has already notified its students to enroll for the AIBE. “I am not questioning BCI’s decision,but the decision should have been taken democratically. The student who opted to study law should have been aware that he has to take this exam for practising in a court.”

The AIBE will be held in December this year,six months after the final years results are declared. Mukund Sarda,principal,Bharati Vidyapeeth’s New Law College (NLC),said,“We had objected to the AIBE on three grounds,one of which was the delay of six months caused by the examination before fresh law graduates can start practising.”

The fees for the exam is Rs 1,300,including study material. “There are many students who cannot afford to pay it and may share the study material,” said Sarda,who had objected to a private agency being roped in for the exam. “There must not be a private agency involved as it reduces transparency,” he said.

ILS Law College principal Vaijayanti Joshi said colleges can only facilitate students in registering for the AIBE,but cannot be held responsible if students fail to take the exam.