Law Course Run By Mumbai University is Outdated Allege Students

Mumbai University’s inability to respond to an RTI query filed by Hussain Ali Chandrani, a law student from a city college, and instead directing it to its affiliated colleges has raised doubts about the contents of the law course being taught at the university affiliated law colleges. Law students in colleges affiliated to the Mumbai University claim that the course they are studying is an outdated syllabus.

Hussain Ali Chandrani, a law student himself in one of the city law colleges had sought the information on whether the 2008 Bar Council of India (BCI) guidelines on the course structure, faculty and student strength, curriculum set-up and upgradation of syllabus were being followed, in his RTI query. Later, Chandrani appealed to the authorities over non-submission of required information.

Whereas issues of adopting the guidelines for revised course prescribed by the BCI are within the purview of the Board of Studies (BoS) and the Faculty of Law of the university and not the colleges, the move of the university to forward the RTI query to its colleges is surprising.

It was only on the further appeal Chandrani was told that a three-member committee was set up by the university to discuss the issues arising out of the BCI guidelines, which shows the university’s inability to update their syllabus for several years. The BCI has prescribed a more practical oriented syllabus and has also structured the course well so that students get maximum benefit out of it, claims Chandrani.

However, a BoS member claimed that adopting BCI norms is not possible. “Aided law colleges are already running into losses. They do not have enough teachers for existing programmes. Law colleges in the city are also dependent on the visiting faculty, who are not available after 10.30am as they go for practice in court,” the member said.

“Colleges are worried about the unaided subjects for which they will need additional faculty. If one has to revise the course structure, the state government has to give colleges an assurance to give grants for these courses,” said the official. In fact, a meeting of law college principals was held to discuss this very issue, claimed the BoS member.

A committee was set up to represent the issues faced by colleges in the implementation of the BCI rules of Legal Education to the minister of higher and technical education.