Separate university for legal education
The tussle to control legal education in the country continues. At a meeting of the legal round table, convened by the Union human resource development ministry, decided to establish a separate university for legal education. The proposed university will be part of 14 world class innovation universities and will promote research and higher studies in legal affairs.
Sources stated that the university is likely to work under the purview of the HRD ministry. Presently, the Bar Council of India is the regulatory body of legal education in the country. Over the past one year the HRD ministry and the BCI have been at loggerheads as the council feels that the HRD ministry is trying to subvert its authority in the field. A charge that has been denied by HRD minister Kapil Sibal, and has claimed that all stakeholders will be consulted before any decision is taken on the issue.
Sources stated that the proposed university aims to work for research in the legal field. “HRD minister Kapil Sibal feels that research in the field is neglected and this university will help bridge that need,” sources added.
The proposed university will be established in the PPP mode. Sources stated that a nine-member committee will also be established to frame the curriculum for courses at the university.
Sources stated that the round table also decided to ask the UGC to constitute expert committees to look into proposals for starting one year LLM course, one year para legal course and three year BA honours course in law. However, these decisions are likely to come under a scanner from the BCI which has opposed earlier such attempts by the Union HRD ministry.
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