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Indian Express
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
LLM, equivalent legal courses offered online or via hybrid mode unauthorised: BCI
The Bar Council of India (BCI) has said that offering LLM or equivalent legal courses online or through a hybrid mode without its approval was unauthorised and unrecognised. The BCI, as a result, issued an advisory against the proliferation of unapproved Master of Laws (LLM) programmes offered online, through distance or hybrid modes. The advisory, authored by Justice (retd) Rajendra Menon, former chief justice of the Delhi High Court and co-Chairperson of the standing committee on legal education of the BCI, was sent to all the high courts on June 25 for necessary action. 'It is reiterated that any LLM or equivalent legal programme offered in online, distance, blended, or hybrid mode, or under misleading nomenclature such as LLM (Professional) or MSc (Law), without prior BCI approval, is unauthorised and shall not be recognised for any purpose whatsoever,' it said. The advisory continued, 'This includes employment, academic appointments, research registration, or judicial service & departmental promotional eligibility. Such qualifications shall be treated as null and void ab initio, and any reliance placed on them by candidates will be treated as misrepresentation.' The expert also urged the high courts to take judicial note of this regulatory position, and ensure no appointments, promotions, or academic decisions were made on the basis of qualifications that do not have the sanction of the BCI. 'The (High) Courts may further be pleased to direct that any candidate seeking appointment or advancement on the basis of an LLM or related qualification must furnish confirmation from BCI that the programme was conducted in compliance with the Legal Education Rules, 2008 and 2020,' he said. Several institutions, including reputed universities and private centres, offered postgraduate legal education programs through non-traditional delivery formats without securing the mandatory approval from the BCI, and these include online-only, blended learning, and open and distance learning models, the BCI added. 'The Bar Council of India has already issued showcause notices and is in the process of issuing it to several institutions, including National Law Institute University, Bhopal; Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur; O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat; and National Law University, Delhi, for offering LL.M. or similarly designated legal programmes through online, distance, blended, or hybrid formats without requisite approval,' the letter said. Justice Menon said some of the institutions sought to justify their programmes by suggesting that they were 'executive' in nature, or not equivalent to the traditional LLM degree. 'However, these claims were found to be untenable, particularly where the protected nomenclature 'LLM' was prominently used in advertisements, brochures, and academic communications. The use of 'LLM', a term denoting the postgraduate Master of Laws degree, without parameter approval/recognition from the Bar Council of India constitutes a deliberate attempt to mislead prospective students and misappropriate the statutory and academic status associated with this qualification,' he said. Such practices, the latter said, were statutorily impermissible, and any degree or qualification earned from these modes won't be recognised for academic appointments, UGC-NET eligibility, PhD registration or judicial services. 'The LLM is not a private credential and it is a statutorily regulated degree. Misusing the nomenclature or circumventing regulations under the guise of 'executive' or 'professional' LLM programmes amounts to academic fraud,' the BCI said.
The Hindu
30-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Online or hybrid LL.M. degrees without BCI approval deemed invalid
The Bar Council of India (BCI) has clarified that any Master of Laws (LL.M.) or equivalent legal programme offered through online, distance, blended, or hybrid modes—without its prior approval—will be considered unauthorised and will not be recognised for any professional or academic purpose. 'This includes employment, academic appointments, research registration, or judicial service & departmental promotional eligibility,' the BCI stated in a recent communication. The regulatory body emphasised that it governs legal education standards across the country and that such programmes fall afoul of its Legal Education Rules, 2020. The Council said it has already issued show cause notices and is in the process of initiating action against several prominent institutions, including the National Law Institute University (Bhopal), Indian Institute of Technology (Kharagpur), O.P. Jindal Global University (Sonipat), and National Law University (Delhi). These institutions, it alleged, are offering LL.M. or similarly designated legal programmes via online, distance, or blended formats without requisite BCI approval. 'Some of the institutions sought to justify their programmes by suggesting that they were 'executive' in nature, or 'not equivalent' to the traditional LL.M. degree. However, these claims were found to be untenable, particularly where the protected nomenclature 'LL.M.' was prominently used in advertisements, brochures, and academic communications,' the BCI said. The Council noted that many of these institutions include disclaimers stating that the course is not equivalent to a BCI-recognised LL.M., but continue to use the term 'LL.M.' prominently in promotional and academic materials. The BCI termed such conduct as 'public misrepresentation, academic deception, and regulatory non-compliance'. The BCI underscored that legal education—particularly at the postgraduate level—requires real-time, interactive discourse and sustained faculty-student engagement. 'The absence of such engagement critically undermines the development of legal reasoning, argumentation, and analysis—essential competencies in the legal profession,' the Council stated. It added that the Legal Education (Post-Graduate, Doctoral, Executive, Vocational, Clinical, and Other Continuing Education) Rules, 2020, categorically prohibit LL.M. programmes from being delivered through online or hybrid modes. Although the Rules have been challenged before the Supreme Court, no stay has been granted. The Council also raised concerns that students graduating from such programmes are applying for academic and research roles. 'Several students who have completed these online or hybrid LL.M. programmes have proceeded to register for the UGC-NET, Ph.D. in Law programmes, or applied for teaching positions in LL.B. courses. This is impermissible under the current regulatory regime,' it cautioned.
India Gazette
29-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Bar Council of India issues advisory against unapproved online LLM programmes
New Delhi [India], June 29 (ANI): In a decisive step toward preserving the credibility of legal education in India, the Bar Council of India (BCI) has issued a formal advisory against the proliferation of unapproved LL.M. (Master of Laws) programmes offered in online, distance, or hybrid formats. This advisory reinforces the exclusive regulatory role of the BCI and emphasizes compliance with existing legal and academic frameworks. The letter, authored by Justice Rajendra Menon, former Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court and Co-Chairman of the Standing Committee on Legal Education, was addressed to the Registrar Generals of all High Courts as well as the Supreme Court of India. Copies of the letter were also circulated to universities and State Bar Councils to ensure compliance and initiate appropriate action. The advisory reiterates the binding authority of Supreme Court rulings, the UGC (Open and Distance Learning) Regulations, 2020, and BCI's own Legal Education Rules (2008 and 2020), under which LL.M. programmes must secure prior approval before being conducted via non-traditional methods. Any deviation, it warns, threatens the standard, uniformity, and legal sanctity of postgraduate legal education across the country. Letter issued in this regards stated that, alarmed by the growing number of institutions offering programmes under alternative titles such as LL.M. (Professional), Executive LL.M., or in Cyber Law, the BCI has highlighted that many of these courses are being run without mandatory approvals. Such practices, it stated, not only violate Supreme Court directives but also mislead students and degrade academic quality. The Bar Council clarified that under the Advocates Act, 1961, it is the only statutory authority empowered to regulate both undergraduate and postgraduate law programmes. No other entity--including UGC or autonomous universities--can validate LL.M. courses independently. The Council emphasized that an LL.M. degree is the minimum qualification required for teaching law, and therefore any relaxation in quality or regulatory compliance directly affects the legal profession. In light of these violations, the BCI has urged High Courts take judicial notice of the BCI's exclusive authority in legal education, Reject qualifications obtained from unapproved LL.M. programmes for appointments or promotions and Require institutions and individuals to submit compliance verification from the BCI where necessary. To protect students and uphold public trust, the Bar Council plans to release a public advisory cautioning against enrollment in such unauthorized programmes. It is also preparing to initiate contempt proceedings and other legal measures against institutions found violating these guidelines. (ANI)
