Bar Council Of India Shall Explore Possibility Of LLB Exams, CLAT In Regional Languages : Law Ministry
Union Minister for Law and Justice Mr. Kiren Rijiju informed Rajya Sabha via a written reply that under the Advocates Act 1961, the Bar Council of India is the regulatory body for legal education in the country and in its rules for legal education it is "clearly envisaged that the medium of instruction can also be other regional languages as per the convenience of the...
Union Minister for Law and Justice Mr. Kiren Rijiju informed Rajya Sabha via a written reply that under the Advocates Act 1961, the Bar Council of India is the regulatory body for legal education in the country and in its rules for legal education it is "clearly envisaged that the medium of instruction can also be other regional languages as per the convenience of the universities."
The reply was in response to an unstarred question that sought to know the government's proposal to conduct LLB entrance examination in regional languages. The question notes that due to entrance examinations being conducted in English language, students are deprived of their fundamental right to get education by creating linguistic discrimination.
The reply acknowledges that there have been requests to conduct the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) in regional languages apart from the English Language. In this regard, the Minister informs the House that "the Bar Council of India being the regulatory body for legal education shall definitely consider this aspect and shall issue an advisory to Universities in this regard."
Likewise for other Universities, the reply states that the Bar Council of India shall write to the Universities asking them to further explore the feasibility of conducting entrance examinations in respect of regional languages for the convenience of the locals of the area apart from conducting the same in English language.
In this regard, it may be noted that in 2020, the Bar Council of India had expressed its support for conducting CLAT examination in regional languages. BCI had constituted a committee to consider the viability of conducting the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) for admissions into National Law Schools in regional languages, in addition to English. The move came after the Delhi High Court directed the Statutory Body to consider the demand made by petitioners for conducting CLAT in regional languages.
Download the Written Reply here