At BCI helm for 14 years, Manan Kumar Mishra faces heat over professional conduct
The Bar Council of India (BCI) is facing scrutiny over its regulatory conduct after a controversial decision regarding law graduates and long-standing concerns about fake degrees. Critics argue the body has failed to maintain professional standards in legal education.
Why it matters
The integrity of legal education and professional licensing is critical to the functioning of the judicial system in India.
NEW DELHI: BCI's controversial decision to bar 2026 law graduates from Hyderabad's NALSAR University of Law from being registered as advocate, which it withdrew within hours, brought into focus the regulator's working which has been headed by senior advocate and BJP MP Manan Kumar Mishra for 14 years.A statutory body established under Advocates Act, 1961, BCI is mandated to regulate legal profession and legal education. It lays down standards of professional conduct for advocates, exercises disciplinary jurisdiction, and recognises universities whose law degrees qualify a person for enrolment. Section 7(1)(g) of the Act also gives it general supervision and control over state bar councils.But no provision of the Act gives it the power to enrol a person as an advocate which is to be done by a state bar council to admit persons as advocates on its roll.
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