BCI grants conditional approval to existing Maharashtra law colleges for 2026-27

As a one-time exception, the Bar Council of India (BCI) has granted conditional approval to existing law colleges in Maharashtra for the 2026-27 academic session.

An August 10 order links the relaxation to Maharashtra's ongoing Centralised Admission Process (CAP) for law courses, run by the State Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell.

The CAP Round-I option-form deadline has been extended to August 11. BCI has said that conditional approval was needed so that eligible colleges and students are not disadvantaged by the time still required to complete the regular approval process.

The approval covers existing eligible Centres of Legal Education (CLEs) for their existing law courses, sections and sanctioned intake. It is conditional on the concerned university's affiliation being valid, with the university responsible for authenticating that affiliation against BCI's existing records.

Every CLE availing the benefit must still complete the BCI portal process by August 31, 2026, furnish required documents and pay all applicable fees. BCI has stressed that the relaxation waives no past or present fee or regularisation requirement and does not regularise any previous session. Colleges must still complete pending regularisation and cannot claim the benefit while avoiding these obligations.

The relaxation applies only to existing CLEs' existing courses, sections and intake, not to any new CLE, course, section, or intake increase, which still need separate BCI approval. Missing the deadline, non-payment, invalid affiliation, or incorrect particulars lets BCI withhold, modify, suspend, or withdraw the approval and act further.

CLEs already registered on the BCI portal can apply for an extension on the council's website. Those not yet registered can request a registration link by emailing cle@barcouncilofindia.org, dlebci@gmail.com, and bciinfo21@mail.com with the subject "REGISTRATION LINK FOR EXISTING CLE NOT REGISTERED ON BCI PORTAL," along with their approval letters and contact details.

BCI has said that the arrangement is confined to Maharashtra and this session, made solely for the CAP Round-I timeline and sets no precedent elsewhere.

The order follows a July 13 circular giving CLEs until July 31 to complete renewals, and a July 23 circular that tied renewal to physical inspections. In Maharashtra, the admissions issue had already reached the Bombay High Court, with Mumbai colleges telling the Court they would pay penalties "under protest" to meet the deadline for CAP.