The delay in admission to some of the law colleges in the State is confusing students. Admission to the five-year and three-year LL.B. courses is yet to begin in government law colleges and those private colleges that have entered into a seat-sharing agreement with the government.
Disagreement among some private college managements regarding the fee structure was the reason for the delayed admission, sources said. “According to the agreement, 50 per cent of seats in these private colleges are for government quota and the rest for management seats. Some managements have sought changes in the fee structure,” said a source.
Around this time last year, classes had already begun at the Government Law College, Ernakulam for the five-year integrated LL.B. course. “We have announced the allotment date for the five-year LL.B. course. It will be held on October 11, 17, and 18. We will try and start the classes as soon as possible,” said Ernakulam Law College principal A.S. Saroja. The allotment dates for the three-year course are yet to be announced.
While teachers are worried about completing portions on time, students hoping to get admission to law colleges are worried about their future. “First-year classes have already begun at the National University of Advanced Legal Studies and other colleges. A friend of mine who wrote the entrance examination has been calling me up regularly to find out when the admissions will begin. Admissions have already closed everywhere else and he won’t be able to enroll this year if he doesn’t make it here,” said a second-year student of the Government Law College.
Admission to some of Kerala’s law colleges, including government law colleges, happen around October every year, usually after seats in most other courses have been filled. The delayed admission leaves students confused about their options. If they do not make it to the law course, they stand the risk of having losing a year. Many students thus enroll for engineering, science or humanities courses due to the delay in admission to the law colleges. “They will have already paid the fees at these colleges and will lose money if they drop out to join law college,” said a student.
