All India Bar Exam has become a waste of Taxpayers’ money

On 5th of February, Bar Council of India conducted an exam called All India Bar Exam. Passing this examination makes a law graduate eligible to enrol with BCI and practice at any Indian Court.

Cost of the All India Bar Exam

For appearing in the All India Bar Exam, a law graduate needs to pay Rs 3,500 if they belong to the general or OBC category. For SC and ST students, the fee is Rs 2,500. At the time when CJI Chandrachud advocates for women lawyers breaking the glass ceiling, there is no relief in fee for them. After paying fees, students have to travel to their own centres, which are sometimes located at the far ends of cities. In some cases, it is in a different city. Travel charges vary anywhere from Rs 50 to Rs 5,000.

Then there is the cost incurred by BCI, the conducting authority for the Exam. Examination centres charge anywhere between Rs 300 and Rs 2,000 per candidate. Taking the average at Rs 1200 and calculating the total amount spent for 1.20 lakh candidates in 2021, BCI spent around Rs 14.5 crore to conduct All India Bar Exam.

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Examination is bizarre

All of it for what? just for the sake of candidates being able to get 40 marks in a 100-mark exam. Moreover, the All India Bar Exam is not exactly merit-based. Questions are of basic level. To make it easier, bare acts at their centres are allowed. And trust me, people carry them in suitcases. These bare acts should not contain notes. This time around, the rule was relaxed, and bare acts with the least notes were allowed. No one knows what constitutes the definition of “least.”

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In other words, referring to books is allowed. Traditionally, it is called cheating, but not in this case. The exercise is futile, to say the least. If referring to books is valid, then why not conduct it in online mode? Why can’t candidates sit at home and answer questions in online mode? It would save crores of rupees, and there would be no effect on the legitimacy of the All India Bar Exam.