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From August/September 2010 (Now Nov/Dec 2010) all fresh law graduates or those who have already graduated but not yet enrolled would be compulsorily required to pass a bar examination to be conducted by Bar Council of India (BCI). Perry4Law Techno-Legal Base (PTLB) and its Bar Examination Segment welcome this initiative of BCI as it would go a long way in bringing Judicial and Legal Reforms in India.Having said that one cannot deny the difficulties and challenges that the BCI and others associated with the bar examination would face. On top of it are the fears and apprehensions of final year law graduates regarding the same. They have fears that their education at respective law school may not automatically empower them to clear the bar exams and they need some more time to exclusively prepare for the bar exam.
Here starts the real problem. If the bar examination is a sub standard one and is mere formality, it would fail to bring required legal reforms in India. On the other hand, if the exam is a real and effective one, the students must hone up their existing legal knowledge and acumen as the pattern of their study and exams at law colleges/schools may be different from that of bar exams.
I must confess that the burden is upon the BCI to tackle this arduous task effectively as well as graciously. On the one hand it has a greater responsibility towards the nation at large whereas on the other hand it must act as a guide and mentor for fresh law graduates. While the first task has been effectively taken up by the BCI the latter one, in my personal opinion, has been totally neglected by the BCI. Till now the BCI has not come up with a concrete plan regarding the bar exams. For instance, there is no information regarding the course contents, syllabus, dates of exam, authorities that would conduct the exams, suggested resources for preparation, institutions with whom it has tie ups, etc.
While PTLB and Bar Examination Segment of Perry4Law have taken a small but significant step in this direction yet the initiative must come from BCI itself. We have started an “Online Platform” where the registered students may have some guidance and insight regarding the course mentioned therein. This is a “Prototype” that may be adopted by BCI or the BCI may (if it thinks fit) rope us for their bar exams initiative.
Whatever the choice the BCI exercises, it has to keep in mind at least two things. Firstly, it has to arrange all the matters pertaining to bar exams precisely and efficiently. Secondly, it has to do this as soon as possible as the dissatisfaction and unrest among the final year students is increasing.
Perry4Law, PTLB and its other Segments wish all the best to the BCI and we have full faith in not only the intentions but also the potential of BCI to conduct bar exams effectively, efficiently and successfully.
