GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT OF LEGAL AFFAIRS
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 748
ANSWERED ON 05/02/2026
RECOGNITION OF LLB DEGREE
748 Shri Neeraj Shekhar:
Will the Minister of Law and Justice be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Bar Council of India had recognized LLB degrees through evening classes in
Delhi University and some other law colleges in the country...
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF LEGAL AFFAIRS RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 748 ANSWERED ON 05/02/2026 RECOGNITION OF LLB DEGREE 748 Shri Neeraj Shekhar:
Will the Minister of Law and Justice be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Bar Council of India had recognized LLB degrees through evening classes in Delhi University and some other law colleges in the country few years back;
(b) if so, the details thereof, State-wise;
(c) the number of such LLB degree holders who have been enrolled as advocates in the country, State-wise;
(d) the reasons for stoppage of evening classes for LLB;
(e) whether such LLB degree holders have been debarred from practicing in courts; and
(f) if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)
(a) and (b): The Bar Council of India (BCI) has informed that under the earlier Rules of Legal Education, 1989, the BCI had permitted and recognized evening LL.B. courses offered by certain universities and law colleges, including institutions in Delhi and some other States, subject to compliance with the then-prevailing standards. However, with effect from the academic year 2000–2001, the Bar Council of India, through the Rules of Legal Education, 1999 referred to that time as Standards of Legal Education and Recognition of Degrees in Law
(Rules), discontinued the recognition of evening law degree courses across all States.
(c): There is no data available/maintained who had acquired LLB degree through evening classes.
(d): The Bar Council of India has consistently maintained this position under its Rules of Legal Education, 2008, which mandate that LL.B. is a regular, full-time professional course requiring prescribed daily and weekly classroom hours, minimum attendance, and a fixed academic teaching window between 8.00 a.m. and 7.00 p.m. Accordingly, no State-wise recognition of evening, night-school, part-time, weekend, holiday, online or distance LL.B. courses exists orhas existed since 2000–2001, a position reiterated by the Bar Council of India through statutory rules, circulars.
(e) and (f): The LL.B. degree holders who had completed their law degree through the evening classes till the academic year 1999-2000 are entitled to be enrolled as an advocate, as stated above and not thereafter.
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