HYDERABAD: The Bar Council of India (BCI), the apex regulator for legal education in India, has made mandatory the immediate implementation of biometric attendance and criminal background checks for the students pursuing studies in law education institutes.
In a letter to all vice-chancellors, deans, faculty, and law students, the BCI asked the centres of legal education (CLEs) to verify whether the students work while studying and install CCTV cameras on the premises.
The BCI, in a statement, said that it issued the notification in response to judicial observations about the need to monitor antecedents and backgrounds of the law students and ensure transparency and accountability in attendance and students’ conduct.
“All CLEs are required to install biometric attendance systems to ensure accurate student attendance monitoring. Furthermore, CCTV cameras must be installed in classrooms and other key areas of the institution. The recordings from these cameras must be preserved for a period of one year to support any necessary verification or investigation related to attendance and student conduct,” the BCI said in a notification.
Students’ declaration
All law students are now required to declare any ongoing FIR, criminal case, conviction or acquittal before the issuance of their final mark sheets and degrees. Failure to disclose such information will result in strict disciplinary action, including withholding the final mark sheet and degree, the BCI said.
“Law students must declare that they have not pursued any other regular academic programme while pursuing their LL.B. degree, except for short-term, part-time certificate courses in areas such as language or computer applications, or programmes offered through distance learning, as allowed under the rules…Students must declare that they were not engaged in any job, service or vocation during the course of their LL.B. degree unless they had obtained a valid no objection certificate,” the notification said.
The BCI added that CLEs should alert the regulator in case they find any student with an unsatisfactory attendance record or a criminal background or if any student is in violation of the mandate of this notification. The student’s final mark sheet will be withheld until the BCI takes a decision on the matter.
The BCI also said CLEs will be penalised if they fail to follow the directions issued in the notification.
Earlier this year, the BCI prohibited 11 law education institutes from admitting new students as they did not meet the prescribed standards for legal education.
To see the detailed notification issued by the BCI, click here.