Bar Council of India flags law school approval gaps and proposes steep enrollment fee hike

The Bar Council of India (BCI) issued a circular stating that any Centre of Legal Education that failed to submit a complete renewal application by the July 31, 2026 deadline will be barred from admitting students or running law courses in the 2026‑27 academic year. Several National Law Universities – including NLSIU Bengaluru, NLIU Bhopal, NLUO Cuttack, HNLU Raipur, TNNLU Tiruchirappalli and GNLU Gandhinagar – remain absent from the BCI’s approved list, with some still only approved through the 2025‑26 session.

In parallel, the BCI has drafted an amendment to the Advocates Act that would raise the enrollment fee for new advocates from the long‑standing ₹750 to a total of ₹22,500, split between state bar councils and the BCI. The proposal includes a reduced rate of one‑quarter for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and persons with disabilities. Law graduates and student groups have expressed concern that the sudden increase could create a financial barrier for young lawyers entering the profession.