Pravin Gandhi College of Law graduates in limbo amid BCI crackdown on law colleges

Graduates of SVKM's Pravin Gandhi College of Law (PGCL), Mumbai are facing significant hurdles in enrolling with State Bar Councils due to the college's lack of approval from the Bar Council of India (BCI).

As per BCI records, PGCL has been affiliated with approval only until the academic year of 2016-17. This raises concerns of legitimacy of the degrees granted by PGCL from 2017 to 2025.

"Simply sending periodic letters of fee receipts to the BCI does not fulfill the responsibility of the institution towards its students. The burden of these administrative delays is not borne by the college or the BCI, but by students like myself, who are unable to proceed with vital academic and professional steps," said a student who is unable to register in her home State Bar Council.

The PGCL website, however, still shows that the college is "Approved by Bar Council of India (BCI)".

As per a recent report, BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra has urged students to verify the approval status of law schools and colleges before admissions.

"Students are bound to suffer if they study in unapproved colleges. When we receive complaints about such institutions, we shut them down and impose heavy fines. But by then, the damage to students' careers is already done."

The BCI's latest moratorium notice will invite scrutiny to existing Centers of Legal Education like PGCL. It reads,

"During the moratorium, existing Centers of Legal Education will be subject to intensified inspections and compliance audits. The BCI may order closure or derecognition where institutions fail to maintain prescribed standards and will discourage issuance of fresh NOCS or affiliations for new institutions or courses."

PGCL alumni aspiring to join the judicial services are unable to do so since they cannot enrol with State Bar Councils, a prerequisite to meet the three-year practice requirement to fulfil eligibility. 10 alumni have also given a signed representation to the Bombay High Court Chief Justice's office stating, "the college continues to function and confer degrees upon students in the absence of any publicly available confirmation of renewed BCI approval which directly affects graduates like us, particularly those who intent to enrol with State Bar Councils outside Maharashtra, where a degree from a duly recognized law college is a mandatory requirement for registration."

Upon questioning, PGCL has responded to emails from alumni stating

"The college administration reaffirms that:

As per the rules, we have followed the procedure for renewal of registration with BCI for the academic years up to 2024-25 and 2025-26.

We shall inform you as soon as we receive any communication from BCI in this matter."

Despite repeated attempts, the PGCL administration did not respond to Bar & Bench's requests for a comment.