RMLNLU filed renewal application late, paid less, misled public: BCI on law school's lapsed approval

The Bar Council of India (BCI) on June 6 issued a show cause notice to Dr Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University (RMLNLU), Lucknow, calling the University's position on its lapsed BCI approval "factually incomplete, legally untenable and materially misleading"..As per BCI, the situation has arisen because of the University's own omissions, belated filings and incomplete compliance."At the outset it is made clear that the attempt to project that the matter is pending merely because of delay at the end of the Bar Council of India despite alleged submission of application and payment of fees by the University is factually incomplete legally untenable and materially misleading. The record available with the Bar Council of India prima facie discloses that the present situation has arisen because of the University’s own omissions delay non compliance belated filing incomplete compliance and failure to ensure prior and continuing approval for the relevant academic sessions," the notice stated.The notice, signed by Principal Secretary Srimanto Sen and Additional Secretary Nalin Raj Chaturvedi, cites Bar & Bench's June 2 report in which the University had stated that its BCI approval "from 2023 onwards is pending at BCI end."The statement came days after students staged a protest on May 27 over, among other grievances, the institution's absence from BCI's list of approved Centres of Legal Education (CLEs)..The notice draws a distinction between portal updation and extension of approval. For the academic sessions 2024-25 and 2025-26, the BCI portal reflected only "updation of existing CLEs/University" entries which are filings to update institutional and infrastructure particulars and are not applications for extension of the existing course. The substantive extension application was filed only on April 1, 2026, along with application fee and late fee, seeking extension retrospectively from 2023-24 onwards. "The University cannot equate portal updation with statutory approval," BCI said.BCI has said that RMLNLU's reported position suppresses the fact that the University did not ensure timely and proper filing of extension applications for the relevant sessions and that the substantive extension application was reflected only in April 2026. A belated application, BCI said, cannot retrospectively cure the University's failure to ensure prior and continuing BCI approval for academic sessions which had already commenced, progressed or concluded.On application fees being paid, the BCI emphasised that approval is not automatic and is not granted merely because a fee has been paid."BCI approval is not automatic. It is not granted merely because a fee has been paid. Payment of fee, late fee, portal registration fee or processing fee does not amount to approval, renewal or extension," the notice stated..BCI says that its records show that the University deposited only ₹1,00,000 towards the guarantee or security amount, against the requirement of ₹5,00,000 per law degree course as an interest-free refundable deposit. The University has been asked to explain the apparent shortfall of ₹4,00,000.The compliance affidavit submitted by RMLNLU has also come under scrutiny. BCI noted that the affidavit records approval only for the period 2006 to 2023. The document also contains an express undertaking under Rule 14, Chapter III of the Rules of Legal Education 2008 - that no student shall be admitted and no course shall be run without prior approval and continued recognition of BCI."Having made such an undertaking, the University cannot justify continuation of admissions or academic activity after expiry of approval merely by stating that an application was pending or that fee had been paid." the notice stated..The University has been asked to show cause on grounds, including failure to maintain approval continuity after 2022-23, failure to file proper extension applications for three consecutive sessions, admitting students without valid prior BCI approval and making public statements that were materially incomplete. It has also been directed to issue a corrective statement "in the same manner and to the same media and public platforms where its earlier stand was circulated."On the position of students, BCI said that those admitted during the last properly approved session, 2022-23, need not be made to suffer merely because the University failed thereafter to maintain continuity of approval for later sessions.For students admitted from 2023-24 onwards, the burden lies on the University to regularise all deficiencies before those students complete their course and seek enrolment as advocates."The University cannot expose students to uncertainty and thereafter shift responsibility upon BCI," the council said.BCI has reserved the right to conduct an inspection, withhold or decline extension of approval and take such further regulatory action as the record warrants.