Bill won’t hit legal education, assures govt

The human resource development ministry has assured the Bar Council of India that its powers will not be affected by the proposed Higher Education and Research Bill 2011, law minister Salman Khurshid told the Rajya Sabha today.

"The Bar Council of India has informed [the government] that the human resource development minister vide his letters dated July 6, 2012 and July 30, 2012 has assured that the powers of the BCI in relation to educational institutions leading to grant of degree for the practice of law shall not be affected by the proposed bill," he said replying to a question.

He also said that the bill provides for the constitution of expert advisory groups, and the head of the Bar Council shall preside over this group on legal education.

"The … bill has been referred to the department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on human resource development and is pending consideration before the committee," Khurshid said.

Legal eagles protest

Around 80 leading legal academics teaching across India and abroad have protested the lack of consultation with the Bar Council of India (BCI) in framing legal education norms.