Surprise checks at edu facilities should be the norm

The surprise inspection report is crucial, as the vice-chancellor and the Bar Council will decide on the fate of those law colleges with adverse remarks

The Mumbai University (MU) is conducting surprise inspections of law colleges in the city, MMR and the Konkan and has constituted numerous three-member committees, as per the directives of the Bar Council of India (BCI). The BCI had raised concern vide its circular dated March 28, 2023, about the mushrooming of private law colleges across the country and the deteriorating level of legal education (LLB and LLM), with no full-time faculty or qualified principals and without adequate infrastructure, a report stated in this paper.

The surprise inspection report is crucial, as the vice-chancellor and the Bar Council will decide on the fate of those law colleges with adverse remarks. The circular is addressed to vice-chancellors and registrars of all universities awarding law degrees and imparting legal education, directing them to send reports of surprise inspections conducted wherein there is grossly inadequate infrastructure and a lack of faculty. If the same is not done, the Bar Council of India shall be constrained to withdraw the recognition granted to such defaulting universities.

We need a complete clean-up of this system as the standard of the legal system is being compromised. The rot starts at its roots, legal education itself and that is the reason these surprise checks and weeding out the malpractice is so important. If there are these concerns raised, they are definitely valid and a clean sweep is in order here.

While it may not be apparent on the face, unqualified, below-average legal professionals are dangerous and can have a serious detrimental effect on society. These colleges or law schools need to be regulated. There has to be an accent on faculty—who exactly is teaching here, what are their qualifications and why (if not) there is no principal. The checks are the first step towards remedying this extremely concerning situation.

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