Online LLM Degrees Invalid: BCI Orders Immediate Shutdown, Issues Notices to NLUs, IIT-KGP
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Online LLM Degrees Invalid: BCI Orders Immediate Shutdown, Issues Notices to NLUs, IIT-KGP

Ongoing Event

AIBE Application Date:29 Sep' 25 - 28 Oct' 25

Mirza Farhan BaigUpdated on 02 Jul 2025, 05:10 PM IST

As the space for online Law courses was rapidly expanding and often at the cost of regulatory compliance, the Bar Council of India (BCI) has reaffirmed its ban on unauthorised LLM courses offered through online, distance, blended or hybrid modes. It has directed law universities and departments to strictly comply with the Rules of Legal Education 2020, the Advocates Act and other statutory guidelines. Any such courses, currently operational, must be suspended immediately, and a compliance report must be submitted to the BCI, the notice says.

Online LLM Degrees Invalid: BCI Orders Immediate Shutdown, Issues Notices to NLUs, IIT-KGP
Online LLM Degrees Invalid: BCI Orders Immediate Shutdown, Issues Notices to NLUs, IIT-KGP

Among the institutes offering online/executive or professional LLM courses are several national law universities, law colleges, and private institutions. The council has already issued show cause notices and is in the process of issuing it to several institutions, including National Law Institute University, Bhopal, IIT, Kharagpur, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat and National Law University, Delhi, for offering LL.M. or similarly designated legal programmes through online, distance, blended, or hybrid formats without requisite approval.

In its communication to law universities and departments, the council has informed that some institutions sought to justify their programmes by suggesting that they were "executive" in nature, or “not equivalent" to the traditional LL.M. degree. However, these claims were found to be untenable, particularly where the protected nomenclature "LLM" was prominently used in marketing materials — advertisements, brochures, and academic communications.

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The use of protected nomenclature — “LLM” denotes the postgraduate Master of Laws degree. Using the term without prior approval constitutes a deliberate attempt to mislead students and misappropriation of the statutory and academic status associated with the term.

The notice also adds that using a disclaimer, stating that a course like "LL.M. (Professionally" is not equivalent to a recognised LL.M. under UGC or BCI regulations, does not absolve institutions from liability or regulatory breach.

The council has reiterated that any LLM or equivalent legal programme offered online, distance, blended, or hybrid mode, or under misleading nomenclature such as LL.M. (Professional) or M.Sc. (Law), without prior BCI approval will be considered null and void.

These courses will not be recognised for using them for employment, academic appointments, research registration, judicial service or departmental promotion eligibility. The same has also been communicated to all High Courts.

As for students, the BCI says, online or hybrid LLM for UGC NET, Ph.D, or teaching positions is impermissible under the current regulatory framework and violates the BCI Legal Education Rules. Permitting unapproved and substandard LLM for UGC NET, PhD, or teaching undermines the integrity of institutions and devalues the postgraduate law degrees obtained through proper channels.

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Questions related to AIBE

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to AIBE ?

Hello, Here is a clear and simple breakdown of who is eligible for the AIBE 20 (All India Bar Examination).

To be eligible for AIBE 20, you essentially need to have completed two main steps after your schooling:

  • You must have a 3-year LL.B degree or a 5-year integrated LL.B degree (like B.A. LL.B, B.Com LL.B, etc.). The most important part is that your degree must be from a college or university that is recognized by the Bar Council of India (BCI).
  • After you get your law degree, you cannot directly apply for the AIBE. You must first enroll as an Advocate with your respective State Bar Council. Once you enroll, you will get a unique enrollment number. This enrollment number is required to register for the AIBE 20 exam.

In short, the only people who can apply for AIBE 20 are those who have already graduated with a law degree and have also officially registered themselves as advocates with a State Bar Council.

Hello dear candidate,

the previous year question papers and last ten years question paper for AIBE exam is given in the link given below:-

https://law.careers360.com/articles/aibe-19-exam-2024-download-past-10-years-question-papers-pdf

I hope you find this helpful.

Thank you.

Whether or not signing your full name instead of your signature on the AIBE 19 answer booklet's self-declaration form would result in disqualification is uncertain. It depends on the specific rules and regulations of the AIBE examination and how strictly they are enforced, you can also check the official website or contact the concerned authorities.

Hello,

If you forgot to mention the booklet code in your AIBE 2024 application, follow these steps:

  1. Check for Edit Option : Log in to the AIBE portal and verify if there is an option to edit or update your application details.
  2. Contact Helpdesk : Reach out to the AIBE helpline or email support to explain the issue and request assistance for correcting the booklet code.
  3. Documentation : Keep a copy of your application form and any communication for future reference.
  4. Stay Updated : Monitor the official AIBE website for any updates or instructions regarding this issue.

Act promptly to avoid complications.

Hope it helps !

If you forgot to mention your booklet set code and other details on your AIBE 2024 exam OMR sheet while filling the rest of the information correctly, your exam may not be evaluated properly, and you could potentially face a delay in your results or even have your exam invalidated; however, there might still be a chance to rectify the situation.

Since AIBE exam is OMR based paper and is checked by using a specialized scanner called an "OMR scanner" which reads the darkened bubbles on the sheet, interpreting them as answers, and then comparing them to the answer key to generate a score - essentially, the machine "reads" the marks made on the paper to determine the correct answers, all through a process called Optical Mark Recognition (OMR). If it doesn't recognise your booklet code there are chances that it could not process your answer on code basis.

Reach out to the Bar Council of India (BCI) as soon as possible through their official website or helpline number. Explain the situation clearly, mentioning that you filled in all the details correctly except for the booklet set code and other missing information.

If possible, try to attach a scanned copy of your OMR sheet where you can highlight the correctly filled details and the missing booklet set code.

Hope it is helpful to you!!!