HC impleads UGC in PIL to hold LLB, LLM exams before July every year

Hyderabad: Terming the submissions of the standing counsel Adesh Varma for the Bar Council of India as “blame game”, the Telangana HC division bench, comprising CJ Alok Aradhe and Justice Jukanti Anil Kumar on Monday, directed the HC Registry to implead the UGC to the PIL in which the petitioner seeks a direction to the State government, BCI to ensure that the LLB and LLM exams are held before July every year.

The bench found fault with Varma, who according to the court, though a supervisory body has not come out with a solution to hold the exam, rather has informed the court that it is UGC which grants affiliation to colleges and it is not a party to the PIL.

The CJ questioned Varma whether the BCI had written to UGC in this regard, to which the counsel replied in negative. On the other hand, Imran Khan, Additional Advocate-General, told the court that UGC has no role to play in this issue; its role comes only in granting affiliations to new colleges, which teach law.

As there was ambiguity in the contentions put forth by both the counsels, the CJ bench appointed V. Raghuram, senior counsel, to go through the PIL papers and come out with a clear picture, so that the court can direct the concerned for holding the LLB and LLM exams before July every year (academic year 2024-25).

The bench was adjudicating the PIL filed by A Bhaskar Reddy, advocate from Gachibowli, seeking directions to BCI to hold admissions to law courses in Telangana for AY 2023-24; and direct the State government, BCI and the convener, TS LAWCET to strictly adhere to the academic calendar by completing the counselling and admissions to LLB, LLM and other law courses before July each year beginning with Academic Year 2024-25 as per the UGC norms.

Hearing in the case was adjourned to July 24.

Justice K Surender elected president of HC T&AP ECCS Ltd.

On Monday elections were held to the High Courts of Telangana & Andhra Pradesh Employees Cooperative Credit Society Ltd, Hyderabad. The executive committee was elected unopposed.

Justice K. Surender of the Telangana HC was been elected president. The other members elected were: S Haraiah (vice-president), H Pradyumna Kumar (secretary), Arun Kumar (joint secretary); B Jhansi Laxmi Bai, A Rajani, Ch Sarojini, Syed Riyaz, Md Hameed, Munuswamy, Venkatesh and Sudershan (executive committee members).