07 October,2016 06:47 AM IST | | Pallavi Smart
With the mid-procedure introduction of the age-bar, future of students who managed to get admissions to law colleges hangs in the balance
Aspiring lawyers celebrating having made it to a law college; hold your horses. Turns out, your admission is subject to the outcome of the ongoing case in the Bombay HC against the age-bar mandate that has recently been instituted by the Bar Council of India (BCI).
In a recent amendment the BCI capped the age of five-year-course students at 20 years old; for the three-year-degree, the limit is set at 30 years old. The colleges have now added an undertaking to those above the prescribed age bar that the admission is subject to the court ruling.
Colleges respond
The colleges are now worried about meeting deadlines. Dr Srividya Jayakumar, principal of VPM Law College, said, "It is already October. Forget completing required number of lectures, the struggle will be to complete the curriculum."
Students protest
Tushar Raje (33) a professional paralegal, wanted to pursue a law degree for better opportunities. "Right now, I have got admission, but I am stuck. I hope the criterion is removed, at least for this year. We have already put in a lot of time and effort to get admission," said Raje.
President of Prahar Vidyarthi Sanghatna, Manoj Tekade, said, "There is no rationale behind this age-bar. Moreover, if BCI had to put the age-bar, they could have implemented it from next academic year. Such a norm cannot be implemented after two rounds of admission process are already over."
