Lok Sabha Question No. 1893 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-06
Subject: Law Schools and Colleges
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Shri Narayan Tatu Rane

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW & JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF LEGAL AFFAIRS ***** LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1893 TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 6th DECEMBER, 2024

## Law Schools and Colleges ♰ 1893. Shri Narayan Tatu Rane : Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

- (a) the total number of existing law schools/colleges recognized by the Government in the country during the last ten years, year-wise;
- (b) the total number of applications pending for recognition as law schools/colleges during the said period;
- (c) whether any steps have been taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to address the issue of the rapidly growing number of law schools in the country; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)

- (a) : The total number of CLEs (Centers of Legal Education) approved by Bar Council of India (BCI) in

the country during the last ten years is attached as Annexure-A. (b) : The BCI has informed that vide circular dated 18.12.2023, it has started to take applications from the existing and new CLEs/institutions for its registration through an online portal namely, https://www.barcouncilofindia.org/user/login. It has also been notified that all pending hard copy application stands infructuous and the applicant CLEs has to apply afresh through designated portal. The BCI has further informed that total 436 fresh applications were received in the year 2023-2024, on the portal for registration and at present there is no pending application with BCI for such registration. (c) & (d): As per section 7(1)(h) of the Advocates Acts 1961, the BCI is mandated to promote legal education and to lay down standards of such education. The BCI has informed that it has taken steps to ensure that menace of growing CLE's across nation can be curbed. In 2015, BCI vide resolution dated 06.06.2015 requested the State Governments and Universities to restrict the issuance of No Objection Certificate (NoC) and affiliations to the law colleges for the next three years. Despite the resolution, 300 CLEs got NoC and affiliations but the BCI refused to approve the affiliation granted. Later on, after the judicial intervention, the BCI had to restart the process of approving affiliation granted to these CLEs. A fresh moratorium for a period of three years on opening of new CLEs and even new sections was imposed by BCI through resolution dated 11.08.2019 but the same was also lifted up through Press Release dated 16.06.2021 after the Hon'ble Punjab & Haryana High Court set aside the BCI resolution imposing moratorium.

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Annexure-A.

| Sr. No.   | State                       |   Count of State |
|-----------|-----------------------------|------------------|
| 1         | Andaman and Nicobar Islands |               01 |
| 2         | Andhra Pradesh              |               05 |
| 3         | Arunachal Pradesh           |               05 |
| 4         | Assam                       |               03 |
| 5         | Bihar                       |               10 |
| 6         | Chandigarh                  |               01 |
| 7         | Chhattisgarh                |               11 |
| 8         | Dadra and Nagar Haveli      |               01 |
| 9         | Delhi                       |               10 |
| 10        | Gujarat                     |               64 |
| 11        | Haryana                     |               30 |
| 12        | Himachal Pradesh            |               08 |
| 13        | Jammu & Kasmir              |               01 |
| 14        | Jharkhand                   |               15 |
| 15        | Karnataka                   |               32 |
| 16        | Kerala                      |               18 |
| 17        | Madhya Pradesh              |               82 |
| 18        | Maharashtra                 |               78 |
| 19        | Manipur                     |               01 |
| 20        | Meghalaya                   |               02 |
| 21        | Odisha                      |               08 |
| 22        | Puducherry                  |               01 |
| 23        | Punjab                      |               29 |
| 24        | Rajasthan                   |               55 |
| 25        | Sikkim                      |               02 |
| 26        | Tamil Nadu                  |               23 |
| 27        | Telangana                   |               16 |
| 28        | Tripura                     |               01 |
| 29        | Uttar Pradesh               |              319 |
| 30        | Uttarakhand                 |               14 |
| 31        | West Bengal                 |               22 |
|           | Grand Total                 |              868 |