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Andhra Pradesh High Court admissions order: With a view to prevent delay in completing admissions of candidates to law colleges in the state, the Andhra Pradesh High Court has prescribed time limits for initiating and completing the entire admission process.
Yogesh attributed the delay to the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (the Council). He submitted that 9,000 seats are required to be filled up in various law colleges in the state which runs three-year LLB, five-year LLB and LLM courses.
Yogesh informed the court that notification for admissions was issued by the Council in February and March, and the entrance examination is conducted in the month of May and the results generally are declared in the month of June.
Yogesh argued that even when the result is declared in June, the counselling process is not initiated by the Council even as late as the month of November. He contended that it resulted in late commencement of classes.
It was further pointed out to the court that the counselling process had yet not been completed even in November despite results of the entrance examinations being declared in June.
The counsel appearing for the state submitted that there is no statutory time line prescribed under their regulations within which the counselling process has to be completed.
The court was further informed that the delay happened due to the failure of the Universities to grant timely affiliations to the colleges.
The court observed that delay in completing the admission process in law colleges has an adverse effect on the academic curriculum of candidates.
“We are convinced that the Council cannot delay the process of completing the admission in various law colleges in the State which does have an adverse effect on the academic curriculum of candidates and therefore we feel that time limits have to be prescribed for initiating and completing the entire admission process so that by a fixed date the colleges can start their academic curriculum”, the court said.
The court therefore prescribed the following schedule:
1) The notification inviting the applications from eligible candidates for admission in various law courses in the State shall be issued in February and not later than first week of March of a particular year.
2) The entrance examination shall be conducted in April and not later than 15th of May of that year.
3) The result of such an examination shall not be declared later than 15th of June.
4) Eligible candidates who make up the merit shall be called for counselling not later than one month from the declaration of result in June, which date should not exceed 15th of July in any case, for reasons to be recorded in writing. The court noted that this period, according to counsel for the state, is required to verify the factum of recognition and affiliation either by the concerned University or by the Bar Council of India.
The court further added that the counselling process, in any case, shall be completed before August 25 so that colleges can start the academic year in the first week of September.
The court also observed that it is also necessary for the Universities to accordingly prescribe a schedule for either the existing colleges or colleges who wish to get affiliated, so that the entire process of grant of affiliation is completed by the University within a specified time. The court said that this will leave enough time gap for the colleges to approach the Bar Council of India for the approval.
The Court said that the prescribed schedule shall be applicable from the next year.
