Gujarat High Court directs Gujarat University to not allot any students to affiliated law colleges till June 28

The Gujarat High Court on Friday directed Gujarat University not to allot any students to any law colleges affiliated to it until June 28 [Shri LA Shah College v. Bar Council of India (BCI)]..Justice Nikhil S Kariel passed the order in a petition filed by a law college stating that the Bar Council of India (BCI) order de-recognising grant-in-aid institutions associated with Gujarat University was passed without necessary inspection being conducted. "Till the next date of hearing, the Gujarat University is directed not to allot any students to any of the law colleges affiliated with Gujarat University," the Court order reads. .The petitioner law college claimed that it had been sending payment for inspection to the BCI every year, but a team was not being sent for the same..It was further stated that the real problem arose in 2008 when the Rules on Standards of Legal Education and Recognition of Degrees were introduced. The Rules required one professor for every sixty students. The petitioners submitted that grants by the State government were allotted considering one class to be comprising 120 students, while BCI considered one class to be of 60 students. "There is a gap...State government has its own procedure and BCI insists this. Management is torn between the two..." the counsel submitted. .The petitioner also compared the fee prescribed by the grant-in-aid colleges amounting to ₹1,700 to that of other self-financed colleges, while arguing that if the former are de-recognised, those who lack the means to afford the fees would suffer. .Permission was sought from the Court to add the State Education Department as well as the Department of Law as respondents. The same was allowed by Justice Kariel. On the Court's request, Advocate General Kamal Trivedi appeared for the State government. The judge asked the AG to take a non-adversarial stand on the situation and provide a solution while posting the case for further hearing on June 28. .To prevent students from opting to attend self-financed institutions in the meantime, the common allotment process was ordered to be put on hold till the next date of hearing. .Senior Advocates SI Nanavati and Prakash Jani and Advocate Mrugen Purohit appeared for the petitioners while Advocate Manan Shah represented BCI. Gujarat University was represented by Advocate AV Nair. .[Read Order]