Nod for 3 self-financing law colleges in state

Even as seats in government law colleges remain vacant, the government has given the clearance for setting up law colleges in the self-financing sector. Other than four government law colleges and university legal study centres, Kerala Law Academy Law College is the sole college in the private sector in the state.

Three law colleges will be opened this academic year. The government has given NOC for five colleges which have received university affiliation, but the Bar Council of India (BCI) has given the nod for three - Mar Ivanios College, Thiruvananthapuram, NSS College, Kottiyam, and SN College, Kollam. The nod for Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan College, Kozhikode, and SNDP College, Kochi, is pending.

Each college will have 60 seats in a five-year integrated law course.

There are mixed reactions to the move. “This is something that neither the government nor the public can stop, but the quality of education will suffer. It is part of MHRD’s move to retreat from the service sector,” said A S Saroja, principal, Government Law College.

“In the wake of the declining standards in education in government law colleges, law colleges in the self-financing sector will offer competition with better infrastructure, and only the best will survive,” said V S Sebastian, School of Legal Studies, Cochin University of Science and Technology  (Cusat).

“According to the decision of the State Cabinet to allow corporates to start law colleges in the self-financing sector, a few colleges sent proposals to the government and applied to the respective universities for affiliation. NSS College, Kottiyam, applied first and got the NOC.

The other colleges are Mar Ivanios College, SN College, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan College and SNDP College.

 The BCI meet on August 24 will decide on giving permission for the rest,” said Ajikumar, Additional Secretary, Higher Education Department.

However, the BCI has decided to give clearance only to three colleges this academic year. “Clearance has been given to NSS College, SN College and Mar Ivanios College.

 The nod for the other two colleges is pending,” said Ajith, Bar Council member.Four other colleges have also got preliminary administrative sanction, said the Additional Secretary.

With this, the seats for law in the state will increase, giving opportunities to students from other states.