BCI to start Phase-Wise Agitation to oppose Higher Education Bill July 11 and 12 to be Protest Days Dharna at Jantar mantar in August

The difference of opinion between the Bar Council of India (BCI) and the Human Resources Development (HRD) Ministry over the regulation of legal education in India has reached the stage of agitation, protest and dharnas..The difference of opinion between the Bar Council of India (BCI) and the Human Resources Development (HRD) Ministry over the regulation of legal education in India has reached the stage of agitation, protest and dharnas..The BCI in its joint meeting held on May 19, 2012 at New Delhi on the issue of Higher Education and Research Bill, 2011 (the Bill) has decided to strongly oppose the Bill. The BCI has passed numerous resolutions at the joint meeting to oppose the Bill including a phase-wise agitation across the country, observing July 11 and 12 as protest Days and staging dharna at Jantar Mantar in August..BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra in the press release said, “The manner in which these Bills are drafted and are sought to be introduced by the HRD Ministry is clandestinely trying to sideline and to harm the advocates of the country and their elected statutory Bodies in the matter of legal education and legal profession”..Mishra further said, “The joint meeting has unanimously resolved to oppose these Bills till the HRD Ministry does not exclude ‘the legal education’ and the ‘Advocates Act, 1961’ from the purview of all these anti people Bills”..According to the BCI Press Release, the HRD Ministry is attempting to replace ‘the Legal Education Committee’ of Bar Council, by a handful of nominees of Union Government (in its HRD Department) in the garb of globalization..BCI in its meeting has resolved that the representatives of all the Bar Associations of the country, the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of all the State Bar Councils shall hold a Press Conference on June 10, 2012 at their respective Headquarters highlighting this issue. Thereafter, the copies of their Press Releases, shall be sent to the President of India, the Prime Minister, Union Minister for Law and Justice, Union Minister for Corporate Affairs, Union Minister for HRD, Chief Ministers of all the States and the Ministers for HRD of all the States, in order to draw their attention towards the arbitrary nature of these Draft Bills..BCI has also decided that from June 18-30, 2012, a delegation of all the Bar Associations across the country will meet the Members of Parliament of their respective constituencies and hand over a memorandum to them with a request to oppose these Bills in the Parliament and out of the Parliament..It has also been unanimously decided that in order to express their resentment, advocates across the country shall abstain from attending to work July 11 and 12 and there shall be a peaceful dharna at the respective Districts and State Headquarters on the same dates..In continuation of this phase-wise agitation, it was further decided at the joint meeting that if the HRD Ministry does not accept the demands of BCI, lawyers across the country will assemble at Jantar Mantar and hold a peaceful rally from Jantar Mantar to the Parliament. All the agitation programmes will be peaceful and in full accordance with the observations of the Supreme Court.