After a lapse in its approval status that had lasted three academic years, Dr Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University (RMLNLU) at Lucknow now appears on the Bar Council of India's (BCI) list of approved Centres of Legal Education till the 2026-27 academic session.

The list shows an intake of 60 students against its five-year BA.LL.B. (Hons) course. However, the college's actual intake for the course is 180 students.

Speaking to Bar and Bench, the University's Joint Registrar (Administration, IT & Exam), Sanjay K Diwakar, said that the figure in the list is a "technical error" and that RMLNLU has secured BCI approval for an intake of 180 students, including retrospective approval for the previous three academic sessions.

He added that the University has taken up the discrepancy with BCI and that the figure on the list is expected to be corrected soon.

RMLNLU's approval had lapsed after the 2022-23 academic session. Students protested on May 27, partly over the University's missing BCI recognition, along with other grievances.

The University told Bar and Bench on June 2 that its renewal application had been submitted and fees paid, though the approval letter "from 2023 onwards remained pending at BCI's end."

On June 6, BCI issued a show cause notice that called the University's public statements on its approval status "factually incomplete, legally untenable and materially misleading".

According to the university, the BCI has now granted approval for 180 seats.