New course will be taught at the Lala Lajpat Rai Law College in Sambalpur. Telegraph picture

Sambalpur, May 23: Sambalpur University has launched a new course in law and business from the current academic session. The newly launched BBA, LLB course will be taught at the Lala Lajpat Rai Law College.

The Lala Lajpat Rai Law College, established in 1965, provides a three-years’ degree course in law and a two-years’ postgraduate diploma course in industrial relations and personnel management. From this academic session, the college will also provide five-years’ BBA LLB honours course.

“This is a two dimensional course. Students who would take admission in this course will get a bachelor of business administration and a bachelor of law as well,” said programme coordinator Bijay Kumar Das.

“This year, we will start the programme with 40 seats. Students who would secure 60 per cent marks in their Class XII examination would be eligible to apply for admission into the course. Faculty members from the department of business administration of Sambalpur University and the Lala Lajpat Rai Law College will jointly take classes for the course. In this course, students will be taught both commerce and law,” Das added.

“Students have to spend a hefty amount to pursue this particular course in any of the private institutions. But, we are providing this course at a reasonable price,” he added.

Curriculum planners of the course hoped it would attract a lot of students as it has a bright prospect. The western part of the state has become the hub of several industrial houses. It was, thus, quite obvious that they would require professionals with proficiency in both law and business. This course will open new vistas for the students from the region.

Application forms for this course will be available from June 27. Online forms, however, had already been made available, Das added.

“The course will be divided into 10 semesters. Students will have to clear two semesters every year. The annual fee for the course will be Rs 25,000. The Calcutta-based National University of Juridical Sciences provides law course for science students only. There, the students read both science and law. Similarly, here we have launched this course to impart legal and business knowledge simultaneously to the students,” said B.N. Behera of Lala Lajpat Rai Law College.

Dubraj Sahu, a student who has just appeared his Plus Two examinations and is awaiting result, said: “This is a course with lots of opportunity. But the officials should rethink about the eligibility criteria. As they have asked for application only from students who would secure more than 60 per cent marks. A lot of interested students will not be able to get a seat for this course.”