AICLET

BCI has taken a decisive step by introducing a three-year moratorium on the establishment of new law colleges across India, effective from August 2025. The ruling has far reaching consequences to law school hopefuls, law teachers and schools in the country. Here are the 5 reasons why the Bar Council Of India has taken this step:

Improving the Quality of Legal Education

India now has more than 1700 law colleges, many of which are operating with poor infrastructure, inadequate faculty , and a shortage of resources. Numerous studies by the BCI and other organizations have indicated that a large percentage of these colleges are working on volume rather than quality graduates that are not significantly trained on matters concerning practicalities of being in law. The moratorium is supposed to curb the uncontrolled rise in the number of low-quality institutions and channel efforts on improving educational standards before authorizing new colleges.

Addressing Commercialization and Degree Shops

The unregulated proliferation of law schools has given way to commercialization of legal education where some schools tend to be degree mills where entry is a business rather than educational choice. This has led to slackened academic integrity and student outcomes. The moratorium implemented by BCI is aimed to bring down this practice and reinstate the confidence in law degrees in India.

Faculty Shortage and Lack of Facilities

One of the main issues in most law colleges is: lack of qualified full-time faculty and lack of proper infrastructure e.g., well-stocked library, moot court and practical training facilities. The moratorium will allow current colleges the time they need to refine their faculty hiring and facility upgrades to meet the BCI high standard before bringing more colleges into the system.

The Necessity of Curriculum and Practical Training Reforms

With new fields such as cyber law, arbitration and artificial intelligence in law, the course curriculum of most law colleges is obsolete and not in tune with the requirements of contemporary legal practice. The time in moratorium will be utilized to redesign curricula, expand on the practical training rounds through internships and moot courts, and includes new fields of the law to land graduates ready to work.

Finding a Balance between Supply and Demand during a Judicial Backlog

There are massive backlogs of cases in the judicial system in India and there is demand for quality lawyers and not necessarily the sheer number of students passing out of mediocre schools. The oversupply of law graduates with insufficient skills saturates the job market/law system. The moratorium focuses on quality rather than quantity to create competent lawyers who would contribute to the legal profession and judicial reforms.

What Does This Implies to Students?

Although the moratorium implies the decrease in the size of the seats and growth, there is a strong chance of legal education becoming of better quality and the outcome of better employability of students taking law courses during and after this phase. Only a few colleges in underserved or marginalized areas will be considered, and these have to meet stringent criteria.

This three-year restriction on new law colleges is a decisive action by the BCI in shoring up India's law education system. This should be seen by aspiring law students and educators as the time to prioritize quality and practical education and make legal education resonate with the demands of the 21st century profession.

Great lawyers are not made by the knowledge they possess, but by the key qualities that define their work, approach, and commitment to serving justice. Legal knowledge is just a small part of becoming a great lawyer. In today’s world, where everything, every information, is just a click away, top lawyers have certain traits that set them apart from normal lawyers or people practising law. Whether you are a law aspirant, budding attorney or someone seeking to become a great lawyer like Late Ram Jethmalani, there are 5 traits that are must-haves.

Boldness in the Advocacy

Ram Jethmalani was renowned for never giving up, even in the toughest cases. He also picked up contentious clients and political cases because he was confident that everyone is entitled to a robust defence.

A great lawyer is one who is courageous and fearless. Never compromising in hard cases of defending the correct thing, even in a case that is not popular, is critical to justice.

Holistic Knowledge of the Law

Late Ram Jethmalani achieved success because of his enormous and meticulous understanding of various laws such as criminal law, constitutional law, financial law and many more.

A lawyer needs to be highly knowledgeable in the area of law and always on the learning curve. Laws evolve, and keeping up with the change ensures the best advice and representation for the clients.

Effective and Clear Communication

Ram Jethmalani was an expert speaker. His court appearances or his speeches at any forums were always followed by triumphs as he could simplify deep, strong legal arguments and use easily understandable words.

A good attorney should be able to present concepts well, when talking and in writing. Effective communication enables the clients to comprehend their case and persuade judges and juries well.

Dedication to Fairness and Equity

Jethmalani was a believer in justice and never compromised with his values, upholding human rights and humane treatment of every person. 

Integrity matters; a good attorney will focus on ethical and fair practice as the top-most priority and will not discriminate between two cases.

Hard work and tenacity

As a lawyer, Ram Jethmalani spent more than 80 years toiling in preparation, sweat-breaking in the fight put up by him on behalf of his clients. Law requires tenacity and effort. A good lawyer does not give up but always pushes to deliver the best representation ever.

The career of the late Ram Jethmalani has taught us that great lawyers are those who are courageous in their actions, knowledgeable in the field, communicative, ethical and hardworking. These are not just qualities to make a successful legal career; the practices safeguard justice and are useful to society.

In conclusion, all the law aspirants seeking to be great lawyers must have these 5 traits. Because these traits serve as a roadmap for excellence and trustworthiness, the lawyers possessing these qualities grow drastically in their careers, contributing rightly to the Indian legal system.

The Rajasthan government Wednesday told the high court that student union polls will not be conducted this year, citing the planned implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) and suggestions from university heads all over the state. In a formal response to the court, the government stated that the prevailing academic situation makes it impossible to hold the polls.

Authorities invoked the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations, according to which student union elections must be held within eight weeks of the beginning of the academic session. They pointed out that the continuous academic calendar, reconfigured in the wake of NEP implementation, doesn't allow following this schedule.

The govt further informed the court that nine universities' vice-chancellors have recommended that the polls not be held this year. The officials, as per the submission, have cited disruption in class timetables and an uncertain academic structure as the reasons behind holding up the polls.

The issue was raised in the high court by Jai Rao, a first-year student of the MA course of Rajasthan University, who approached the court through a petition on July 24. Rao, in his appeal, claimed that the right to elect student representatives is inherent and asserted that elections never took place in Rajasthan for three consecutive academic sessions.

The court had heard the case for the last time on July 29 and asked the state to submit a detailed reply. In the meantime, student leaders from all over the state have organized several demonstrations in recent weeks demanding that the elections be conducted at the earliest.

There will be no additional new law colleges or law schools in the nation for three years, as the regulatory Bar Council of India (BCI) has declared a three-year moratorium on new centres of legal education.

"During the period of the moratorium, no new centre of legal education shall be opened or granted permission anywhere in India.". Additionally, no current centre of legal study can add any new section, course, or batch without prior written and express approval from the BCI. Outstanding applications that have not been given final approval as on the date of commencement will not be touched and will be dealt with according to law," Srimanto Sen, principal secretary of the BCI, said on Wednesday.

Justifying the decision, the council described it as compelled "to stop the deterioration in quality across legal education segments, demonstrated by the uncontrolled mushrooming of sub-standard institutions, frequent issuance of NOCs by state govt and affiliations by universities without checks, and to avoid commercialisation of legal education, indiscriminate academic malpractice, and continuing shortages of quality faculty."

With a proposed number of some 2,000 such centres of legal education already functioning in the country, the BCI feels that institutional capacity of the country is sufficient, the release stated, and the focus has to now turn towards consolidation, quality improvement, and systemic strengthening in public interest and in furtherance of constitutional obligations.

The rule, to be issued shortly for an uninterrupted period of three years, derives its power from the Advocates Act, 1961, and depicts the council's responsibility to uphold and maintain standards of legal education, preserve the integrity of the profession, and protect public interest in the administration of justice, it said.

Referring to a resolution passed in 2019 establishing a temporary moratorium of new law schools, and the later order of the Punjab and Haryana high court dated Dec 4, 2020, the BCI averred it also brought out a comprehensive press release of June 16, 2021 calling for strict diligence by state govts and universities.

"The current rule fulfills the direction of the court by implementing the steps through regulation rules and complements the Council's historic strength in quality," Sen added in the statement.

But there are a few exceptions. 

The rules exempt proposals exclusive to socially and educationally backward classes, SC/STs and economically weaker sections, proposals in remote, tribal or aspirational districts notified by concerned authorities and courses exclusive to individuals with disabilities.

"Such proposals have to meet tight requirements, such as valid NOCs, previous university associations, evidence of infrastructure and faculty capabilities, and meet need-based establishment under the Rules of Legal Education," the statement added.

A former Intel engineer, Varun Gupta, was making news throughout the tech world after being convicted of pilfering confidential documents from Intel, a world leader in chip manufacturing. Though his offense (the theft of "thousands of files") was serious, Gupta will not face jail time, but will not be able to escape public scrutiny or financial punishment.

What happened?  

Varun Gupta, a former Intel engineer, left the firm earlier in 2020. Shortly thereafter, he showed up at Microsoft, a top competitor (sometimes), partner of Intel in the world of technology. In investigating Gupta's resignation, prosecutors found out that he had downloaded and taken with him a significant amount of sensitive Intel documents. They contained confidential business information, proprietary design materials, and strategic negotiation insights, according to reports.

Gupta is accused of employing this pilfered information, not only to secure his new position at Microsoft but also to provide his new firm with an advantage in critical negotiations with Intel, a charge that has tipped the balance of the case heavily in its direction.

Information about the Sentence

The court's decision? Though everyone had expected a jail term for the magnitude and gravity of the cyber-plundering, Varun Gupta was given two years of probation instead of a prison term. In addition to probation, he also had to pay a fine of $34,472, about Rs30,21,510, both for the magnitude of the offense and possible damage done to Intel.

Why No Jail Time?

Legal observers say that a recommendation of probation over imprisonment may be a result of cooperation with the investigators, lack of a prior criminal conviction, and continued reform in sentencing for some white-collar crime crimes. The relatively soft sentence has, however, provoked skepticism and debate on social media regarding the effectiveness of current laws in addressing intellectual property high-value theft.

What Were the Stolen Files? Although the contents of the pilfered materials are not disclosed, prosecutors have identified the documents to include:

• Product roadmaps and chip design files
• Engineering and business strategy reports
• Critical information that may be useful in competitive bargaining

Such information can offer vast leverage in the tech world, where intellectual property and trade secrets are the cornerstones of innovation and valuations of companies.

Contribution to Microsoft and Intel

1. For Microsoft: No public record or public complaint exists that Microsoft benefited from Gupta's actions. But the company will likely review internal security and hiring practices to avoid any future occurrences and regulatory issues.
2. For Intel: The security incident reflects ongoing threats for major technology companies when employees depart for industry competitors. Intel has since strengthened internal data security and confidentiality protocols.

Responses and Industry Response

The case has reignited discussions on:

• The need for stronger cybersecurity and employee offboarding protocols
• Stricter enforcement and harsher penalties for trade secret theft
• The fine line companies walk when hiring talent from competitors

As the case of Varun Gupta gained the spotlight throughout the tech industry, it is a harsh reminder of the threats companies can face from within, and how information stealing can impact individual careers as well as significant corporate partnerships. Gupta's high-profile case is also a call to action for professionals and organizations to put data ethics at the forefront and protect valuable intellectual property from within and outside.

Higher Education department on Monday ordered all the state universities and colleges to report compliance on the internal committees (IC) as per Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, within 24 hours.

In a communication to all the registrars of the public and private universities and principals of the aided, unaided and government degree colleges, the department asked for compliance immediately for strict enforcement of Section 4 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act.

Under this sub-section, all workplaces that employ more than 10 employees are mandated to set up an internal complaints committee whose role is to address the problem of sexual harassment as well as maintain a secure working environment.

The committee must be well represented by women members and external members. The institutions must display the names and phone numbers of all the members of the IC at public points on the campus within the reach of students and display committee members' information in the departmental HIMS portal. The department has also requested the institutions to display photos of geo-tagged campus locations where the information of ICs is displayed

Varsities & colleges ordered to file compliance reports

In a step towards raising awareness among the students and teaching staff, the HEIs have also been ordered to organize workshops on the Act at the earliest. The department also ordered the adoption of the UGC (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees and Students in the Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2015, by the institutions.

The move follows the revelation that FM College defaulted on the UGC regulation's requirements to provide ICCs compulsorily. The college had no operational internal complaints committee in place when the Integrated BEd 20-year-old student filed a complaint of sexual harassment by her department HoD on June 30. It was formed one day later.

Likewise, the UGC has also recently issued a call to all the HEIs to submit reports attesting to compliance with guidelines on not engaging in sexual harassment within campuses. The HEIs are required to upload the compliance data for the year 2024-25 on the SAKSHAM portal and the University Activity Monitoring portal.