Aug. 19: The BRM Government Law College Students’ Union has decided to urge the Bar Council of India (BCI) to allow the college to enrol students for the three-year law course for the 2008-09 academic session.

The BCI had in June imposed a ban on the college against admitting students into its three-year law course as the latter had failed to fulfil certain basic conditions.

The general secretary of the union, Dipankar Das, said the ban would deprive many middle class and economically backward students of the opportunity to pursue a law course as the fees of Gauhati University Law College and J.B. Law College was higher than that of the 94-year BRM College.

He said while J.B. College and Gauhati University Law College charged Rs 7,500 and Rs 3,690 respectively as admission fees for the three-year course, the fee at BRM Law College was around Rs 2,000.

“The college offers special concession to poor and meritorious students. If the ban is not lifted, many students from the middle and economically backward classes will not be able to pursue law course,” Das said.

Moreover, since the number of seats at Gauhati University Law College and J.B. Law College is limited many students will be forced to go outside or take admission in private institutions. The number of seats at BRM College is 160,” he added.

The students’ union claimed that the college had been trying hard to fulfil the BCI’s conditions to start the three-year course.

The BCI had earlier served a showcause notice to the institution asking why it should not withdraw the affiliation it had accorded to the college to run the three-year course as the latter had failed to fulfil the basic conditions.

Das said the college had stopped the practice of hiring advocates of Gauhati High Court and subordinate courts as teachers and had started the process of appointing permanent teachers.

“Construction of the permanent campus of the college at Panjabari has been expedited. It is expected to be ready by December. Under these circumstances, the students’ union will request the BCI to allow the college to start the three-year law course for 2008-09 in the greater interest of students who already suffer from uncertainty,” Das said.

College authorities said they would discuss the matter in detail with the BCI Legal and Education Committee in New Delhi on September 13, after which a final decision would be taken.