Accreditation of Centres of Legal Education in India

Abstract

In India, higher education has witnessed considerable development since Independence with a remarkable growth in the number of Higher Education institutions (HEIs). Overall oversight of these HEIs is under the purview of the University Grants Commission (UGC) with support being provided by Statutory bodies as relevant to the different courses under consideration. In particular, the Bar Council of India (BCI) serves to offer regulatory insight for legal education in the country. Accreditation of HEIs was introduced in India in recognition of the significance of the quality of higher education relating to the achievement of the objectives of higher education. This article therefore attempts to scrutinise the current process of accreditation of HEIs in India under the auspices of the NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) with particular emphasis on centres of legal education. In this regard, the article scrutinises the regulatory authorities and quality reforms for higher education, and the relevance of accreditation and NAAC. Accreditation of centres of legal education as per the NAAC guidelines is also scrutinised along with the guidelines for accreditation specified by the BCI. In the light of these, the article provides recommendations to enhance the future accreditation of centres of legal education in India.