The Bar Council of India (BCI) has issued a directive prohibiting private law universities from using terms like “India”, “Indian”, “National”, “Bharat”, “Bhartiya”, and “Rashtriya” for law-related events such as moot courts and conferences.
The October 15 circular clarifies that only statutory bodies like the BCI and National Law Universities (NLUs) are authorized to use these terms, as they imply representing the entire nation.
According to the BCI, private institutions have been organizing events titled “National Moot Court” or “All India Moot Court Competitions”, misleading participants and the public into believing these events hold national importance. The BCI emphasized that these institutions do not have the statutory authority or government approval to conduct such events under these labels. The council stated that the unauthorized use of these terms has been exploited to secure sponsorships and create a false impression of official endorsement.
“The use of these terms by private institutions can create confusion and is often misleading. Only institutions with a national mandate can legally use such names,” the BCI noted in its circular, as reported by Bar and Bench. The council warned that continuing to use these terms could result in severe consequences, including the withdrawal of BCI recognition, disqualification from conducting such events, and potential legal action.
However, National Law Universities and government-affiliated law departments will still be allowed to use terms like “National” or “India” for events, as they are recognized entities with a national scope. The BCI’s move aims to ensure transparency and prevent private institutions' misuse of national-level terms.