Students unhappy as BCI hikes fee for All India Bar Examination
CHENNAI: For The Second time in less than seven years, the Bar Council of India has hiked the fees for the All India Bar Examination. Recent law graduates are questioning the move.
The All India Bar Examination (AIBE) was introduced in 2010, and is mandatory for all law students graduating from the academic year 2009-2010 onwards. Students have to enroll first with their State bar councils and then apply for the exam.
Only those who clear the exam are eligible to practice law in the country.
Ever since its introduction, the examination has been criticised by students and experts, who questioned the need for an examination when the students were already eligible with their law degrees. The Bar Council has maintained that a uniform examination would help eliminate those without even the basic knowledge of law.
The fees for the examination was fixed at `1,300 in 2010 and was hiked to `2,500 in 2012 with an additional `60 for bank fees. This year, the Bar Council of India has hiked the fees by 40 per cent in 2012 and it now stands at `3,500, excluding bank fees.
The students learnt about the fee hike onlywhen they were submitting their challans. After a lot of queries began pouring in, the Bar Council of India issued a statement on the new fee hike.
But students are not happy. Sri Vidya, who recently graduated and was waiting to write her exam, said she felt the fees was unfair, as not everyone could afford it.
“It is not acceptable that they keep changing the fee structure. People from all kinds of background come to study law, and not everyone can keep paying. The enrollment fees for bar councils has also increased this year. How can we manage all these expenses,” she asked.
Sharath Nair, who graduated from School of Excellence, Adyar, last year and attempted the exam said he was one of the many who filed cases in Supreme Court against the exam. “Legally, the exam should not even be conducted. Even for this fee hike, there should be some basis of how and why it is done. They cannot change rules according to their whims and fancies. The students are the ones who will suffer,” he said.