Sambalpur, Dec. 10: The future of BBA-LLB students of Lajpat Rai Law College hangs in balance as their course is yet to get affiliation of the Bar Council of India.

Sambalpur University introduced the five-year integrated course in 2011. The varsity has 40 seats for the course and on successful completion, students are supposed to be awarded with a degree in business administration and law.

"However, the course is yet to be affiliated by the bar council, which is mandatory for its recognition. The students of the course will not be able to practice law without the affiliation even after passing out," said college students' union vice-president Sameer Mohapatra.

"The university introduced the course in 2011 without the bar council affiliation. It did not even try to seek the council's affiliation. The university first appealed to the bar council for affiliation after a bout of students' protest in 2012. A council team had also inspected the college in November 2014. But, it rejected the request for affiliation as there were no teachers and infrastructure for the course," he said.

"The bar council will grant affiliation only if 10 teaching posts are created for the course. We have long been demanding teacher recruitment. But, if the authorities do not take appropriate steps, our futures would be jeopardised," he said.

On Tuesday, the students locked the gate of the varsity's administrative block demanding bar council affiliation.

Sambalpur University vice-chancellor C.R. Tripathy said: "We will write to the state government to sanction 10 posts for the course. We would also engage two teachers of business administration department for this course."