Eligibility for law course requires strict adherence to educational qualifications as set by the Bar Council of India, ruling out non-equivalent preparatory courses.

ORDER :

Pradeep Singh Yerur, J.

The petitioners, who are students are aggrieved by denial of admission to the three years LL.B Course in the respective colleges coming under the Karnataka State Law University (‘KSLU’ for short), have knocked the doors of this Court to permit them to pursue the three years LL.B course. Hence, these writ petitions.

2. The petitioner/Sri Yuvaraj in WP No.105810/2024 has sought for the following reliefs:

Issue a writ in the nature of certiorari or any other Writ or direction and quash the Endorsement issued by the Respondent University, thereby rejecting to issue eligibility HC-KAR certificate and not permitting the petitioner to pursue LLB, vide Annexure-F Ref. NO.LW002S240001062 dated 21/09/2024, consequently, direct the Respondent- University to issue eligibility certificate, in the interest of justice and equity.

3. The petitioner/Sri Javed in WP 105249/2024 has sought for the following reliefs:

A Writ in the nature of mandamus or any other writ, order or direction thereby directing the Respondents to consider the educational qualifications of the petitioner and thereby declare him eligible for the admission to 3 year LLB law course under the KSLU university R.No.3 vide Annexure-A to Annexure-F;

A Writ in the nature of mandamus or any other writ directing the Respondents to grant admission to the petitioner to 3 year LLB law course for the academic year 2024-25 in the law college of R.No.4 vide Annexure K to Annexure L;

A further Writ in the nature of mandamus or any other writ directing the Respondent No.2 to grant the petitioner sanadh/certificate of HC-KAR practice on his successful completion of law course from the university of R.No.3.

4. The grievance of the petitioners in both these writ petitions, is one and the same i.e., they have been denied admission to the three years LL.B Course in the respective colleges coming under the KSLU.

5. In the case of petitioner/Yuvaraj, respondents/KSLU and Shiva Priya Law College denied admission to three years LL.B Course on the ground that the I.T.I. Course possessed by him is not equivalent to PUC since certain essential requirements /conditions are not fulfilled.

6. In the case of petitioner/Sri Javed, the respondents/KSLU and ASGSS Mahatma Gandhi Law College denied admission to three years LL.B Course on the ground that he did not possess 10 + 2 matriculation documents or other equivalent educational qualification and that the educational qualification secured by him from HC-KAR Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University (‘YCMOU’ for short), Nashik is not a valid educational qualification to grant him admission to the said law college coming under the KSLU.

7. As both these petitions involve common question of law, these Petitions are taken up together for disposal with consent of all parties.

(i) Brief facts of the case in W.P. No.105249/2024

8. The petitioner/Javed passed a pre-preparatory test to secure admission to the degree course in the YCMOU, Nashik which is a preparatory course to take admission to degree course in the open university of YCMOU for those students who do not possess 10 + 2 matriculation or other equivalent educational qualification and he secured 50% marks in the said preparatory/PPT test conducted by YCMOU, Nas