The BCI's reforms for legal education: Bilingual education, mediation as a compulsory subject

The Bar Council of India (BCI) released a circular this week urging all Centres for Legal Education (CLEs) to immediately implement and comply with a set of reforms.

This circular issued by the BCI on May 20 traces various comments made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on legal education over the past few years.

These purportedly include integration of new subjects in legal education, introducing mediation as a compulsory subject, strengthening exchange programs in law schools, increasing the number of women students in legal education and more.

Further justifying the need for these reforms, the circular says that the National Education Policy (NEP 2020) only gives broad guidelines to improve legal education in the country.

Moreover, the Higher Education Commission of India envisioned by the NEP 2020 will oversee all forms of higher education except medical and legal education.

Since the latter is governed by the BCI, the body issued guidelines to enhance the quality and effectiveness of legal education in India.

The circular also ends by stating that these reforms are effective immediately and that non-compliance will result in action being taken agaisnt errant universities.

The BCI also recently issued guidelines to prevent the 'mushrooming' of sub-standard law colleges across the country.