Andhra Pradesh High Court Sets Annual Schedule For LLB Admissions To Curb Delays

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has directed the State authorities to streamline the admission for law courses from 2026, noting that delay in the process has an adverse effect on academic curriculum of candidates.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Challa Gunaranjan passed the order in a PIL filed by Thandava Yogesh.

It was the petitioner's case that there was delay in making admissions to law colleges, which results in disturbing the academic schedule of the candidates.

In the order, the Court has directed the authorities that the notification inviting applications from eligible candidates for admission in various law courses in the State shall be issued in the month of February and not later than first week of March of a particular year.

It further said that the entrance examination shall be conducted in the month of April and not later than 15th of May of that year.

“The result of such an examination shall not be declared later than the 15th of June. Eligible candidates who make up the merit shall be called for counselling not later than one month from the declaration of result in the month of June, which date should not exceed 15th of July in any case, for reasons to be recorded in writing. This period, according to learned G.P. for Higher Education, is required to verify the factum of recognition and affiliation either by the concerned University or by the Bar Council of India,” the Court ordered.

It said that the counselling process shall be completed not later than August 25, with a view to enable the colleges to start the academic year in the first week of September.

While disposing the PIL, the bench also noted, that one of the reasons given for delay is the grant of affiliation and approval of affiliation from the Bar Council of India; and directed the Universities to prescribe a schedule for either the existing colleges or colleges who wish to get affiliated, so that the entire process of grant of affiliation is completed by the Universities with a specific time, leaving enough time gap for the colleges to approach the Bar Council of India for the requisite approval.

“We are convinced that the Council cannot delay the process of completing the admission in various law colleges in the State which does have an adverse effect on the academic curriculum of candidates and therefore we feel that time limits have to be prescribed for initiating and completing the entire admission process so that by a fixed date the colleges can start their academic curriculum,” the Court said.

WP (PIL) 153 of 2024

Counsel for petitioner: Party in person, Thandava Yogesh

Click Here To Read/Download Order