Mumbai: As many as 103 of the 352 law colleges in Maharashtra have been given show-cause notices and asked to apply for the Bar Council of India’s (BCI) recognition in the next 24 hours. The state’s directorate of higher education (DHE) will allow these colleges to participate in the CET Cell’s centralised counselling process only once they submit their application letters.Meanwhile, more than 30 colleges that were denied affiliation certificates by Mumbai University are yet to get relief, and some of them are waiting for the university’s shortcomings’ report to move court.This year, the DHE made it mandatory for colleges to get approval from their office, a recognition letter from the BCI and an affiliation certificate from the university, all the three documents, to participate in the state CET Cell’s counselling process.Shailendra Deolankar, director of higher education, said the decision was taken in a meeting held on Wednesday with higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil. “We have decided to give them 24 hours to apply to the BCI on the minister’s directive. Only those colleges that have applied will be allowed to register for the CET’s centralised admission process round,” said Deolankar, adding that the recognition letter is likely to take time and, therefore, they are being allowed on the basis of application, so that the admission process doesn’t get delayed further.A college principal said that they are forced to pay a late fee fine to the BCI due to the delay in issuance of affiliation certificates. “BCI gives us a deadline of Dec 31, but university certificates have started coming only now. Some have not even received it and are using last year’s affiliation certificates to complete the online process. We are going to challenge the university’s shortcomings’ report, since no local inquiry committees visited us,” said the principal.Colleges claimed that the govt has not offered any relief from the mandate of BCI recognition, as they are forced to pay up to Rs 8 lakh fine despite not being at fault. University issues affiliation certificates in June every year, when the BCI’s original deadline is Dec 31. They are now forced to pay Rs 8 lakh as a late fee fine.
