Adhere To UGC/Bar Council Of India Guidelines: Telangana High Court Tells State In Plea Against "Undue Delay" In LLB Admissions

While disposing of a PIL highlighting "unreasonable delay" in admissions to law courses in the state, the Telangana High Court has asked various respondents including the State authorities to make a "sincere" endeavour to adhere to guidelines of the University Grants CommissionBar Council of India with respect to admissions in law schools.

The court passed the order while disposing of a plea asking for a direction in the nature of writ of Mandamus to declare undue delay in admissions to law courses in Telangana for the year 2023-24 as "unreasonable discriminatory arbitrary breach" of substantive Legitimate Expectations and which is violative of Articles 14, 19 (1) (g) and 21 of the Constitution of India. The plea sought a direction to the Respondents to strictly adhere to the academic calendar by completing the counselling and admissions to LLB and LLM and other Law Courses before July each year beginning with academic year 2024-25 as per UGC norms by undertaking steps as may be necessary. 

The respondents in the matter are Bar Council of India, The State of Telangana, The Telangana State Council For Higher Education and Osmania University. 

A division bench of Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice K Sarath in its November 25 order said, "In view of consensus arrived at, this Writ Petition is disposed of, by directing the respondents to make sincere endeavour to adhere to the U.G.C./Bar Council of India guidelines for the purpose of admissions in Law courses...Interlocutory applications, if any pending, shall also stand closed". 

The order notes that during the course of the hearing the counsel for the parties reached a "consensus". 

It was agreed that the whole anxiety of the petitioner was to ensure that the entire admission process takes place and completes as per the calendar prescribed by the University Grants Commission (UGC)/BCI. It was also agreed by the parties that the admission process of present academic year is already over, the order notes. 

"The parties agreed that a direction may be issued to the respondents to make sincere endeavour to undertake the admission process henceforth, in accordance with the U.G.C./Bar Council of India guidelines", the order notes. 

Case title: A. Bhaskar Reddy v/s Bar Council of India and Others

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