Savior for Law Students | Interview with Advocate A. Bhaskar Reddy on LAWCET Delays PIL – Transcript

The entire video can be watched above. In case you prefer to read a transcript, you can read it below and understand the nuances of the case.

In this compelling interview, Advocate A. Bhaskar Reddy discusses his journey of filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Telangana High Court that aimed to address the systemic delays in law course admissions after the LAWCET exam. The interview uncovers the challenges faced by law students, the motives behind filing the PIL, and how knowing your UGC guaranteed rights can empower students. Mr. Reddy’s efforts have brought forward critical changes that have positively impacted thousands of students across Telangana. Below are the key points discussed in the video:

1. Why Did Advocate Bhaskar Reddy File the Public Interest Litigation?

• Advocate Reddy explains that the delayed law admissions, which stretched into December, were depriving students of their academic year. Despite the academic calendar starting in July, law admissions were pushed back due to administrative delays, which greatly affected students’ career prospects. To address this injustice, he filed the PIL.

2. Why Do Colleges Hesitate to Go Against the Bar Promises?

• The interview reveals that colleges often avoid challenging the Bar Council of India and other regulatory bodies due to fear of retributive action. They risk losing their approvals or facing other sanctions if they confront these institutions, making it difficult for them to stand up for timely admissions.

3. What Are the Consequences of the Public Interest Litigation?

• The PIL resulted in the High Court mandating earlier counseling for law students. For the first time, in 2024, the counseling was conducted in August, and students were able to begin classes by September, preventing them from losing a whole academic year. This reform is expected to set a precedent for future admissions.

4. What Challenges Did Advocate Bhaskar Reddy Face While Filing the Public Interest Litigation?

• Reddy faced many obstacles, from navigating the legal committee’s scrutiny to dealing with government delays and bureaucratic hurdles. The government and Bar Council were slow to respond, and it took significant effort to push the case forward in a timely manner.

5. Knowing Your Rights as a UGC Student Can Help You

• Mr. Reddy emphasizes the importance of students knowing their entitlements. The UGC mandates timely admissions and the availability of adequate resources for students. Being aware of these rights can empower students to demand better academic management and prevent unnecessary delays in their education.

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Hello friends, welcome to 1516. For several years the LAW admissions in Telugu states

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have been happening at around December. You might wonder why the academic calendar starts

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in June or July but LAW admissions are happening in December. This is very unusual and there

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was no answer from any party on this. Everybody sort of accepted this as a way of doing things.

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It was a status quo. People were assuming, yeah it happens that way, there is no reason

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for this. Different agencies used to blame each other and there was no consensus on what

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reason. Fortunately for the students in Telangana this year, a senior advocate, a learned counsel

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has filed a Public Interest litigation in the High Court of Telangana and this year (2024)

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in a first, the counseling was conducted in August and the classes have already begun in September.

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I would like to invite Mr. A. Bhaskar Reddy garu, who is with us today. He will be explaining

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the journey and the rationale, the motivation behind filing this Public Interest litigation

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and helping thousands of students across the state of Telangana. Good evening sir, welcome

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to 1516. How are you today?

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Good evening Prithvi Raj. Thank you so much. Thank you for having me in your interview.

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I am glad, we are honored to have people like you who are going beyond, going the extra

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mile and making sure the students benefit and I am grateful that such learned people

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are available for us to fight for us. Could you perhaps give a brief background about

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how you came into law, where you studied and how long you have been practicing?

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Yes, let me start with the beginning. In fact, law was my first passion. After my graduation

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in 1979, I did a course in journalism and thereafter I joined law in University College

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of Law at campus, Osmania University campus on merit basis. But then you know what happened

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is that time in 1990s law was not really looked after well and it was not sought after. So

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people were not looking with great awe, everyone was talking about joining medicine or going

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to engineering. So there was a feeling that law is not a paying field and you have to

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slog a lot. So therefore it was not encouraged. Because of that I shifted to journalism

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and joined journalism and I studied, I worked in journalism. So I dropped out at that point

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of time. But later on I pursued my studies and I wanted to join, coming from a middle

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class and first generation, I wanted to, always my dream was to join civil services. So I

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attempted civil services and I in fact joined civil services in 1987. I joined an allied

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service called Indian Defence Estate Service in 1987. And then after my superannuation

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in 2019, I retired as a Senior Additional Director General from our headquarters in New

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Delhi. So thereafter I thought with my domain knowledge from the administrative field and

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defence estates, land management and municipal services management and with vast experience in

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various sectors, I thought because now what happens is in government, you retire at the

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age of 60 years when you are still active, your mind is active, physically active and then what

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do you do after 60 years? So you must be occupied with yourself, occupied to be alert and agile.

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So therefore I thought law is the best area to go for. And so I joined,

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appeared for the government entrance examination LAWCET in 2019 and then I got a very good

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rank and then I joined the Padala Rama Reddi College and I completed the law in 2022.

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Even at that time the entrance examination was held in sometime in May and the results were

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declared in June and the admissions were taken only in September-October. So I was wondering why

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is it taking so much time? They said some reasons were given saying that Bar Council of India is

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not getting the permission. So therefore of course I did not pursue that much. In fact

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in September when the admissions were completed, so therefore we did not have much to do,

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we did not think much about the delays part of it. And then when I completed the law in 2022,

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I took a year break and joined practice and thereafter in 2023 I wanted to do a post-graduation

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LLM. So I again appeared for PGLCET, that was again held in May 25th of 2023.

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The results were declared in about 15 days. But as usual the website was saying that the admissions

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will take place in August. Then after August was over, then they said it will take place in

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September. After September was over, in October the website, they simply changed the scroll to

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say that the counseling first phase will be held in sometime in November. So then at that time I

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was feeling that there is something wrong with the system, something has to be done. Why is

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the candidates made to wait so long? And for me it’s okay, it doesn’t affect much. But then

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lot of thousands of students out there who are wanting to join law,

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but then they are deprived of joining the law courses at the right time.

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There is always a golden hour for everything. So you can’t take the admissions at your speed

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when the time which is suitable to the administration. So I felt upset about it and

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discussed with some students and they said yes, there is an issue I discussed with the

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academicians at the teaching teachers in various colleges. They said nothing can be done. This is

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how the Bar Council of India doesn’t give permissions. They really dictate terms to

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the colleges and there is something wrong. So then at that time I started preparing. I thought

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let me file a case. So then what I did was I filed a case in my individual capacity

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in my own name saying that the admissions to law courses are being delayed unduly and

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it is affecting thousands of students because their career prospects are affected.

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When did you decide to file? That was in October 2023 end.

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When this was the third time they postponed the admissions saying that it will be held in November 2023.

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So I found a writ in my personal capacity and I said I want to appear myself as an advocate.

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Although I am an advocate but then as an advocate you can’t appear in your own name, in your own

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case. So therefore there in that case there is a provision to appear in person. So there is a

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unfortunately there is a long procedure for when you want to appear in person in a writ petition.

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So you have to go through a committee meeting. They will call for you, call you for an interview

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and then they will see whether you will be able to address the court and all that.

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You have the capability to handle this matter and all that.

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Just being a member of the Bar and a practicing advocate is not sufficient

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for appearing in your own case as an advocate.

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Exactly, unfortunately that is so. See that is okay with the advocate or the non-advocates

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in a member of public coming and wanting to appear in person. But then the committee system

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is okay. The High Court can scrutinize them, look at them, look at see whether he is capable to

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address the court and all that. But even when advocates are appearing as in person,

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then unfortunately the system is the same. So they don’t change. So then it took about a month

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period for me to get those clearances and then once finally when the clearances came

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the matter was listed. Then by the time the Telangana State Council for Higher Education has

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announced the counselling. So then the government counsel said that no the counselling is already

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started so therefore the writ petition has become infructuous. Then I objected to this. How can this

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be an object? I have come with a prayer not just for this year. I am saying that my prayer in that

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individual writ petition was also that there is an undue delay for the past 10 years.

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This is not fair on the students. Students are losing out on several respects. So therefore the

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system must be rectified. There is a remedy. The court must look into this problem and examine why

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it is happening only in respect of law courses whereas the course of medical admissions,

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engineering admissions, agriculture, all the B.Ed, MBA all admissions take place in July, August.

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But why only in the case of law it is getting stretched to December whereas there is no sanctity

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for academic year. So when I mentioned that then the court said okay now your matter is in a kind

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of a now that it has become counselling has started so now it’s your partly you have got a relief now.

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Now we can’t do much about it but as far as your main core issue is concerned that falls in the

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jurisdiction of a PIL. It is in the domain of a PIL. So we will give you a liberty to file a PIL.

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So that’s how the single bench of the High Court disposed of the repetition in November 2023.

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So with that then again I thought should I go ahead then I said no the core issue is the same

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you know it is affecting the thousands of students. Let us do something for the students

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because it’s a genuine issue and what we are going to fight is a really serious matter. So

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therefore I decided to file a PIL again in the same PIL again the same procedure of appearing

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in person took some time. So anyway so I filed it. When did you decide to when did you file this?

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I filed it in December 2023 but finally again after scrutiny of this committee for appearing in person

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even in this PIL second time also then anyway that process it again took an hour a month.

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So finally it was listed in January 2024 and then the PILs are heard by

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bench headed by the Chief Justice and always it’s always in all the High Courts and the Supreme Court

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generally the PILs are heard by a division bench which is headed by the Chief Justice.

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So they looked at the matter and they looked at the single bench order where

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they said that liberty was given to me to file it. So therefore the double bench

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as division bench has given notices to the Government of Telangana, Bar Council of India

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and the Telangana State Council for Higher Education for giving their response to this

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So that’s how the PIL journey has started.

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Okay.

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Yes.

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So it was not only it was we thought it’s just a simple matter you went there

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filed a PIL but it had to go through two two complete different petitions. So first a writ and

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then a PIL and finally so when you talk about the PIL is the case completed now or what is

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your statement of the case? No the PIL is not yet finally disposed of it has come up for a hearing

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in you know because the state took a long time you know there even if it is in PIL matters where it

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concerns public unfortunately the respondents don’t respond in time. Respondents here in at Bar Council of India

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was the first respondent, State Government is second respondent, Telangana Council for Higher

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Education was the third respondent, Osmania University was the fourth respondent. They don’t file their

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replies although the court gives only one month time to file their replies they generally don’t

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file their replies. You have to go to court and say that they have not yet filed the reply and

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please list my matter. So therefore I again went sometime in April and mentioned to the court

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saying that they have not filed the replies and please ask them to. So then the the court has

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directed the court state government and the Bar Council to file the replies. So then first

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Telangana Council filed the reply and then Bar Council was the main respondent

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first respondent they did not file so they took time so by the time they the filing of these

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counters was done it was only in June, July. July it was completed by then and meanwhile of course

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May was a vacation and I also because I was since I joined LLM I was also going through the first

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semester exams and the assignments and all that I also took my own time and they said okay let me

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do it leisurely after the summer vacations. So therefore I pursued the matter vigorously in

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June after the court opened and July the matter was listed and twice or thrice it had come up

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and various dates were taken and then the then the meanwhile court has directed them what is

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your response and they filed the responses. So I’ll explain the explanation in your next questions.

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So now my next question would be first of all I’d like to thank you because firstly the mere

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act of filing the PIL forced all the agencies to first of all get ready for a response

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and I think they introspected as to why the delay is happening in the first place

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I don’t think anybody has ever thought of this it has always been happening this way so it will

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always happen this way that is sort of the attitude that they had but if you look at it

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maybe for senior students or non-traditional students it doesn’t matter much but it was

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students who are interested a Law about 36,000 applicants this year for three years LLB

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29,000 wrote the exam and passed only 4,000 seats were available so if you wait till December

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and then you are your future is in limbo so you don’t know what’s going to happen

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and you don’t get to see the entire year is wasted because any other course you would want to have

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to pursue that option is also gone because all the courses already started and they will not

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take any more new students so yeah so that is such a great thing because if you get a yes or no you

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can you know pursue your own path whatever it may be but if you don’t get any answer and you’re

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stuck in limbo you’re thinking I’ll join in law I’ll join in law and the benefits for Convener

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quota alone have no scholarships and whatever the other benefits of the government if you go

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for any management quota or something like that those benefits are not about you know given to

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you so yeah so how did they respond on the authorities like Bar Council of India

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Telangana State Council for Higher Education what were the responses like did you find any

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surprising answers sometimes they say that these authorities give silly responses or to us it

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feels like what kind of response is this is this even a response just dilly-dallying

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kind of tactics or something like that so what kind of responses did they find anymore

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so exactly you have rightly pointed out about the you know the problems which will be faced

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by candidates because of the delays exactly that’s what I picked up that point as the core issue

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see you rightly said that you know because the admissions to all other courses generally happen

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between june and August like you know you see the law is pursued at two levels one is at a

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five-year integrated course that is for those plus two kind of students and then three-year

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LLB course for those who have done a graduation already see the first year the in respect of

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five-year LLB course in fact it is very harsh on them because their results are generally declared

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by April you know yes and the the medical results and our engineering EAMCET results

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and set earlier it was called EAMCET results are also declared by June the counseling

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results are declared and then the admission process starts immediately thereafter in July

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sometimes like that and in suppose there are students who want to do law they are left out

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you know they they want to do law they have also appeared for the law counseling the entrance exam

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but the there is nowhere the LAWCET admissions are not taking place to propose see and you must

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also appreciate the candidates who are generally taking the the LAWCET examination they are all

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the middle class and the poor class people and the well-to-do families and well-to-do

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girls and boys they always to go to the regular colleges like you know which are

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CLAT and examination which are the with the private colleges are there where the fee is very

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high you know runs into lakhs of rupees per month per year so that many students in Telangana who

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coming from the agriculture families background and small medium income middle income families

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they can’t afford so with the result what happens to those students is that that the families also

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are under pressure so they the admissions are not taking place in the course of your choice

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but then the poor families and the society will pressurize you to join some course

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Which may be against their wish so then they join that course and they pay

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the fee there and suppose they really want to join law then they can’t immediately come

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because they have to pay fees in that course where they have joined because that college

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won’t let you give the the transfer certificate and the documents so they will hold your so

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therefore purpose even though a candidate is interested to pursue law he is deprived the

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system is not enabling the there is no facility for joining so therefore they move out and they

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miss out I mean they leave it for the like and they join those courses and they do whatever

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they may be doing so that is the major loss so therefore the golden hour to catch the

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law field candidates potential candidates is July, August and that is the period when

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candidates students have gone to go in MBA or B.Ed courses or you know other whatever course

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the post-graduation in various disciplines so like that the law is left with only those

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who are not really serious and so that is one main reason so that’s what I picked up in that

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I wrote in my petition this is the main reason why law is law as a discipline is losing out

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not only the students are losing out law as a career law as a discipline law as a field of

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important branch of our government and the justice system is not getting the bright students

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we are getting a very average students, disinterested students law itself as it is

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doesn’t get many students because of the low you know the income levels in the initial

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fields unlike you know the engineering or medicine where you are at least taken care of you’ll get a

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job but law is not like that it is all entrepreneurial kind of work so unless you

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go to some corporates, everybody can’t to get joined corporate so therefore law is a different

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field so it has to pick up the candidates who are really have that aptitude and you know interest

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to join the course but then the state itself is depriving that opportunity to those Students which I

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felt is a great injustice on the part of the system the loss I mean say depriving the fundamental

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rights of the students basically. So these are the grounds I made out in the petition and I

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collected data for the past 10 years when the exam was held LAWCET exam was held when the counseling

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has taken place when the classes have started so I said this is a and I said this has got a

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you know the kind of a consequential effect on the complete three year courses even after you

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it is going to have an impact it’s not that because the courses should have started in

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June, July academic year as per the UGC must start in July the instructions are like that

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but whereas you are starting in December so that means a six months i.e. period of one semester is

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completely lost for the student you can imagine the kind of loss for one candidate of six months

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thousands of candidates who have waited for admissions and eventually they don’t get

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seat in the Convener quota they can’t get to join some of them may not be able to effort to

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join the management quota so therefore his entire career one year a period of his life is lost so

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maybe he will have to join the next year in either law again or again or join in some other alternativecourse

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so that’s the kind of loss the students were experiencing . It’s a very important thing

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that you mentioned firstly it’s like it’s like a crime of poverty sort of thing being poor itself

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is a crime the poor they have to travel all the way they will go to the office they’ll ask the

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question they’ll say no it’s not now go and again he has to go back take the bus go all the way back

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to wherever he came from and two three times if he doesn’t get resolved he left he loses hope and

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then he has to forfeit his opportunity to pursue something that he desires but on the other hand

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the well-off people they can travel by luxury or they call the right people or they’ll do something

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they are already aware of the opportunities for example you can send posts registered posts

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or emails and they’ll respond but most of them are the poor they don’t know these things and their

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parents also may not be educated as you said first generation people and it’s such a

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it’s a travesty that the system that it doesn’t work for the people who need it the most

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and by doing this we sort of expedited the process at least it sort of made people feel that there

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is a fair chance because I am myself pursuing the LLB three years in Padala Rama Reddi Law College

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and I had also taken the exam into it 2020 due to covid it was held in October at that point of time

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the LAWCET exam but the results were given admissions were decided by December but now there is no

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covid there’s no reason for the delay at all and still they have the admissions are being

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conducted at late September or November counseling itself and admission and reporting and all that

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process starting is after that yes. Fortunately I was first I read I was following your updates

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from the newspaper Deccan Chronicle and I tried to reach out to those reporters also who mentioned

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it yeah and unfortunately I couldn’t reach you till now I had to wait but so the very

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important thing you mentioned about collecting evidence, so you collected evidence for the past

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10 years did you file RTIs or did you file something how did you collect this evidence?

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Can you briefly go over this? So it was all in public domain the it was all the information

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of last 10 years was available I just collected information when 2011

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that time AP and AP LAWCET was there when was it held when was admissions done like that you know

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each year you know for the past I think 2014 onwards I collected data so it was there I

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mean most of the information was available on the public domain so I compiled that and I said that

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this data based on the public information I declared in the PIL that it was not based on any

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RTI so the so in the previous question you asked me about the response of the respondents

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that is the Bar Council I mean first let me tell you about the Telangana council for higher

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education who filed their counter the first they saw the first counter they agreed with all my

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points they said that yes there is delay yes there is a students are affected the academic

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year is getting delayed. Fortunately, I mean generally governments don’t admit their mistakes

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but here they agreed that there is a delay we are conducting everything here the LAWCET is

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conducted right on time we are ready for this but but but they are saying that the blame is with the

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Bar Council of India see under the Advocates Act the Bar Council is the one who is regulating

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Legal education also under section 7 of the advocates act

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so under that garb the the colleges and the state government was putting the blame on the door of the

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Bar Council of India so they said that we are already yes the the other exams other counselling

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are held in time but because we are not able to do the counseling for LAWCET of exams but

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because of the delay in getting the approvals of the Bar Council of India

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to start the admissions so that was the Telangana council even the same was

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echoed by the state government also said that yes there is a what the petitioner is saying

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absolutely right we are ready to hold the exam the admissions in time but for the delays in

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the Bar Council but see the unfortunate thing is that they have given the facts of the day when

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they have sent the proposals to a Bar Council of India they have given the dates also in the

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last few years when they have given the date submit to the proposals to the Bar Council of India to

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give the permissions see it was found out that the state government, particularly the Telangana

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council for higher education was collecting the approvals of the universities granted to

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various private colleges and university colleges and then they were consolidating them and then

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they were sending it to the Bar Council of India it so happened that in 2022 they sent the proposals

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only in September so the result the Bar Council has given the approvals only in November early

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first week of November they given the permission so only after receiving the permissions they the

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counseling was notified so they were they themselves responsible Bar Council is of

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course responsible as an apex body they should have monitored when the law admissions are taking

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place in different states that they have absolutely failed to do that even the state government should

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have pursued with the universities to send the proposals in time the the law mandates

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that the proposals must be given to the Bar Council of India at least 6 months in advance

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each year but not being done by the universities and the Telangana council for higher education

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which has come out very clearly in the in their responses to which we have been able to point out

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to the High Court I think the Bar Council intern was blaming the naturally they were saying that

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we have not got the proposals in time we are ready to do it otherwise we have no problem so but when

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finally when the our matter came up before the bench the Bar Council has come up saying that you

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know their proposals are getting delayed some of them are not given their fees they some of them

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are defaulting in having the regular teaching faculty they don’t have certain teaching faculty

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that’s why we have not given the permissions like that so that’s why that’s how the Bar Council has

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come out with their explanation the reasons for the delay anyway the High Court has insisted that

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when are you going to hold the counseling what the candidate is saying then it is also genuine

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point how can you delay the admission then the council Telangana council is announced in

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July saying that we are going to start the counseling in August, so they have they have

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given the assurance to the High Court that we will now do the counseling in August then we said where

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are the permissions? then the High Court asked the Bar Council what about the permission then the bar

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council has given an undertaking to the High Court that we will give the clearances to those colleges

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which are cleared by before the counseling date announced by the Telangana council that was the

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5th of August 2024 yes by 4th August we will give them so that’s how the and our case was listed on

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12th of August. Last hearing was on 12th August. Unfortunately the Bar Council see our my prayer

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was only in respect of the admissions to the colleges which are under the Telangana

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counseling Convener quota. My PIL was not in respect of CLAT admissions to let

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00:32:21,720 –> 00:32:30,120
us say NALSAR or you know the Symbiosis college or ICFAI college it was not about them.

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our admissions are only in respect of the counseling which is conducted by the Telangana

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Council for Higher Education that is in respect of about 30 odd colleges in Telangana which about

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about 8000 Convener quota seats and about maybe a 2000

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Management quota seats in Telangana only that was my PIL my limit was only up to that but

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Unfortunately the Bar Council of India in their affidavit filed on 12th August mentioned about

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00:33:03,880 –> 00:33:10,920
NALSAR they mentioned inadvertently they mentioned no they deliberately mentioned in their

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00:33:10,920 –> 00:33:17,480
affidavit that NALSAR is also one of the defaulting party so then we were all surprised

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00:33:17,480 –> 00:33:25,320
how NALSAR coming into this picture where NALSAR is not even in the in our pal building so then

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00:33:26,440 –> 00:33:33,640
it so happens that you know NALSAR chief justice of High Court of Telangana is chancellor of NALSAR

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00:33:33,640 –> 00:33:40,520
so then he said oh why are you mentioning NALSAR you know NALSAR is a prestigious

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00:33:41,400 –> 00:33:46,600
institution why are you blaming NALSAR in this case so if you are bringing NALSAR in this then

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I can’t sit in this case so therefore I am recusing myself so let this matter be heard by

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00:33:55,080 –> 00:34:02,760
another bench so therefore that matter was adjourned on 12th August 2024 to a bench headed by

306
00:34:03,640 –> 00:34:10,120
the senior most court judge so that is how the matter is pending there so

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00:34:11,320 –> 00:34:15,160
so now the matter is not yet disposed of so now the matter will be heard afresh

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00:34:16,760 –> 00:34:24,520
sometime in this month or next month so. So if when the bench changes so we have to again start from

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00:34:24,520 –> 00:34:31,800
the beginning is it yes yes exactly so it starts from the beginning in fact I consider it as a

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blessing in fact I deliberately chose to not to go to the bench new bench and ask for a

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00:34:39,480 –> 00:34:46,360
urgent hearing because partly purpose is served in this year the admissions have started now

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I wanted to get a data of this year admissions see my old story is about

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00:34:54,840 –> 00:35:02,760
the numbers see what I said is that last year in 2023 out of 29,000 candidates who have been

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00:35:02,760 –> 00:35:10,120
declared qualified in that last set exam both LAWCET both for five-year course three-year

315
00:35:10,120 –> 00:35:18,840
course and PG courses about 29,000 candidates have qualified and out of them only 12,000 candidates

316
00:35:18,840 –> 00:35:25,720
have taken the registered for the in the options, exercising the options when the counseling was

317
00:35:25,720 –> 00:35:33,560
notified so so there is a big gap you know the number of candidates is about let’s say 29,000

318
00:35:33,560 –> 00:35:38,840
and the candidates who have actually qualified who have actually appeared for the participated

319
00:35:38,840 –> 00:35:44,280
in the counseling exercise is only 12,000 which doesn’t happen in let’s say engineering or

320
00:35:44,840 –> 00:35:51,480
medical courses that is less than 50% yeah less than 50% so that itself shows that

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00:35:53,000 –> 00:35:59,480
the the you have denied the candidates who are interested to I mean see having appeared for the

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00:35:59,480 –> 00:36:06,680
exam and qualified anybody would like to you know participate in the web exercise counseling

323
00:36:06,680 –> 00:36:13,240
exercise at least you may not you may not get or may get or you may not get but they are not

324
00:36:13,240 –> 00:36:18,920
participating which itself indicates that the system was loaded against the candidates by

325
00:36:19,560 –> 00:36:27,240
not getting the admission process in the right time so that itself is a big point for me

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00:36:27,240 –> 00:36:34,600
and I wanted to compare this year’s data because in August they said we will do the counseling

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00:36:34,600 –> 00:36:41,320
so I wanted to get the benefit of the data which I want to prove to the court saying see

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00:36:41,800 –> 00:36:49,160
in 2023, 12,000 candidates have appeared and based on my information so far the final data is yet

329
00:36:49,160 –> 00:36:55,880
to come because the counseling is taking place second phase and the PG counseling is ready to

330
00:36:55,880 –> 00:37:03,320
second phase is also yet to be started so final numbers are yet to come out but from the media

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00:37:03,320 –> 00:37:07,960
what I came to know is that 14,000 candidates have appeared in the first phase of counseling only for

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00:37:07,960 –> 00:37:16,920
the three-year LLB and five-year LLB because the PG LLM courses counseling has taken place much

333
00:37:16,920 –> 00:37:23,960
after that I mean in the last week of August only so that data is not included so which is from 12,000

334
00:37:23,960 –> 00:37:30,760
to 14,000 so that itself for three-year and five-year course itself is a big there’s a jump

335
00:37:31,480 –> 00:37:39,960
Substantial jump in that data so which proves my point that you hold the exam the counseling in time in July

336
00:37:39,960 –> 00:37:46,200
August you will get better candidates you’ll get a higher ranked candidates and who are having real

337
00:37:46,200 –> 00:37:55,320
zeal and aptitude to pursue law so that is my my hunch and my expectation and that is partly

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00:37:55,320 –> 00:38:01,640
proved also and I will be able to prove with complete data when I will approach the court in

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00:38:02,440 –> 00:38:08,520
next month with the complete data and I will prove to the court that this is how the system was

340
00:38:09,880 –> 00:38:15,000
loaded again with the candidates and many candidates of last 10-15 years have lost their

341
00:38:15,000 –> 00:38:23,080
opportunity to pursue law because of the state’s inaction this is a pure inaction and the negligence

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00:38:23,080 –> 00:38:28,840
and indifference of the state government. State I mean I’m talking about in terms of state

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in terms of the universities are Bar Council which are in as far as we are concerned

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in the legal terms they have the state yes yeah it was such a which is very informative to learn

345
00:38:43,080 –> 00:38:48,360
all this because I didn’t ever do that only 50 percent less than 50 percent are obtained for the

346
00:38:48,360 –> 00:38:55,720
counseling because I mean it’s a risk you would expect there would be some drop for example

347
00:38:56,280 –> 00:39:02,360
you see a certificate person wrote the three-year LLB 29,000 odd passed or something like that was

348
00:39:02,360 –> 00:39:08,600
the metric I don’t remember exactly out of that if only 14,000 or so have appeared for counseling

349
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that means outrightly it’s 50 percent and we have around 4,000 seats for three-year LLB I’m

350
00:39:15,240 –> 00:39:22,440
not sure all of them confined around 4,000 or 4,500 I received a look at three-year LLB in all

351
00:39:22,440 –> 00:39:30,600
entire Telangana anywhere to lawsuit and so it’s such a highly informative to learn this and I’m

352
00:39:30,600 –> 00:39:37,640
waiting for what will happen but now that you have filed this so once let us suppose that the

353
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verdict is in the favor of the students and the people do you think that this will be permanently

354
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next year onwards it will happen on time in June July they will they will conduct the courses

355
00:39:50,360 –> 00:39:54,920
because this year the LAWCET was on June 4th results were less than seven days later I think

356
00:39:54,920 –> 00:39:59,800
they gave out the results and because it’s a computerized process actually they can give you

357
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the result on the spot even the retard rate if you look at some foreign exams they will give you

358
00:40:05,640 –> 00:40:11,080
us based on these private exams they will give you the result GRE and GMAT these things they even

359
00:40:11,080 –> 00:40:17,160
the result on the spot they need not even wait so similarly LAWCET is just taking some extra time

360
00:40:17,160 –> 00:40:23,320
for perhaps making sure if their mistakes are not uncovered or there may be some mistakes or

361
00:40:23,320 –> 00:40:29,160
something in that and so do you think it will happen next year onwards also do you

362
00:40:31,800 –> 00:40:39,320
my prayer is that in 2024 the admissions onwards the admissions must take place in July

363
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and concluded by August that is my prayer and I am 100 sure that

364
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the court will certainly grant this because there’s no way court can refuse this because the

365
00:40:53,400 –> 00:41:00,360
UGC guidelines the Bar Council of India guidelines say that the the admissions must take place in

366
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June July and degrees must be awarded the UGC directions are there the degrees must be in fact

367
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the directions are so clear there are certain kind of entitlements of students if you

368
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go to the UGC website students have a certain entitlements that entitlement number one is that

369
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the admissions must take place in time the the exams must be held on time the student must be

370
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informed about when the complete is clear let’s say if it is a law course when the first semester

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will begin when the first semester exams will be held second semester when it will begin when the

372
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holidays will be there when the you know the you have to go for your apprentices and all that

373
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everything must be scheduled must be laid out which is what the CLAT, the national law universities do

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in fact in fact you can know when the final degree will be awarded which is announced in

375
00:41:59,080 –> 00:42:07,960
prior to that. In fact UGC declares that such a system must be provided for by all universities

376
00:42:07,960 –> 00:42:13,480
but unfortunately it’s not happening but the guidelines are definitely in place to say that

377
00:42:13,480 –> 00:42:19,800
degrees must be awarded because the student will have certain plan career plan when he wants

378
00:42:19,800 –> 00:42:25,880
to do a particular course there thereafter where he wants to do some courses in India or abroad

379
00:42:25,880 –> 00:42:32,680
some other specialized studies so student also has a you know has his own planning you know

380
00:42:35,720 –> 00:42:41,720
Universities are just the enablers they are there merely to see what is the convenient for what is the ideal

381
00:42:41,720 –> 00:42:47,880
thing for the students I mean system has to cater to the students not the other way around which

382
00:42:47,880 –> 00:42:52,920
is what was happening so far no they were taking it for granted that they weren’t wanting holding

383
00:42:52,920 –> 00:42:59,480
the exam taking the admissions and so everything was at their convenience but it should not be

384
00:42:59,480 –> 00:43:05,480
like that it should be student-centric which is not there so I want to make ensure that the

385
00:43:05,480 –> 00:43:12,120
admissions take place in time and I want the High Court to lay the guidelines to say that by this

386
00:43:12,120 –> 00:43:19,560
date you should complete the admissions in fact you know Prithvi, you were wondering how the

387
00:43:19,640 –> 00:43:25,320
admissions to the engineering and medical courses are held in time that is again because of the

388
00:43:25,320 –> 00:43:30,840
intervention of the Supreme Court there are Supreme Court has laid down guidelines and

389
00:43:30,840 –> 00:43:36,040
there are the Supreme Court judgments are there both in respect of engineering admissions and

390
00:43:36,040 –> 00:43:42,840
medical courses admissions that you must complete the admissions by the July 31st.

391
00:43:43,320 –> 00:43:50,040
1st August the classes must begin and anybody anyone who is flouting these

392
00:43:50,040 –> 00:43:56,280
directions will be personally held responsible these are the directions of the

393
00:43:56,280 –> 00:44:03,560
Supreme Court in respect of engineering and medical course so I have looked at the judgment

394
00:44:03,560 –> 00:44:09,320
I want the High Court unfortunately in respect of law courses there is no such a similar

395
00:44:09,960 –> 00:44:16,360
direction from by any court of course in fact I feel sad that you know being lawyers we have

396
00:44:16,360 –> 00:44:21,320
suffered I mean the lawyer community has suffered for so many years the kind of

397
00:44:23,720 –> 00:44:29,480
kind of you know indifference of the authorities at the in respect of law to their own to their

398
00:44:29,480 –> 00:44:37,240
own people their own justice system in fact when I was discussing this PIL with some

399
00:44:38,040 –> 00:44:44,600
teachers of the universities then some of them they said they said we thank you so much for

400
00:44:45,480 –> 00:44:50,120
bringing this I mean you have done a world of good to the Law community

401
00:44:50,120 –> 00:44:58,600
law students and to the law that is the words used by one very eminent law faculty in Osmania University

402
00:44:59,560 –> 00:45:07,880
so I mean this and many many people have really appreciated this move and they said that

403
00:45:07,880 –> 00:45:14,840
unfortunately colleges were hesitant to go to courts because they have their own problems. They will

404
00:45:14,840 –> 00:45:20,840
fear a retributive action if they go to the course there but for students to go there is no such

405
00:45:20,840 –> 00:45:31,800
action yes yeah so now I mean I’m very grateful again I personally benefited so I know and also

406
00:45:31,800 –> 00:45:38,840
it is sort of the students if you look at the community of students students how their work is

407
00:45:38,840 –> 00:45:43,080
you are a student only for a certain period of time in your life so you would be a student for

408
00:45:43,080 –> 00:45:48,920
three years or five years in a certain place so your attitude towards the student’s attitude

409
00:45:48,920 –> 00:45:55,320
towards the institution why should I mess with them because if I do maybe they will come back

410
00:45:55,320 –> 00:46:00,520
to bite me and they will reduce my marks or they will look at every single rule in the book to try

411
00:46:00,520 –> 00:46:07,800
to deny me something better I you know bow my head down and go ahead so that I will just silently go

412
00:46:07,800 –> 00:46:13,240
through the process but if every student is like this and especially if you look at again the crime

413
00:46:13,240 –> 00:46:18,680
of poverty sort of thing being poor you would have all the more reason to bow down to the

414
00:46:18,680 –> 00:46:25,880
system rather than raise your voice and that brings with it all its baggage and nobody speaks

415
00:46:25,880 –> 00:46:31,320
and nobody speaks because nobody else speaks so this mentality continues and then somebody has

416
00:46:31,320 –> 00:46:37,480
to speak up only then something will happen yes and through all this I’ve just seen that

417
00:46:38,040 –> 00:46:44,280
if a court decides to intervene somebody is passionate enough and is motivated enough to

418
00:46:44,280 –> 00:46:50,280
go through with the process go the extra mile because it’s no easy feat so you have to spend

419
00:46:50,280 –> 00:46:55,800
hours together poring over all this data and collate it and then present yourself in the court

420
00:46:55,800 –> 00:47:00,760
if you’re if you’re a earning member in the family and you have immediate financial requirements

421
00:47:01,560 –> 00:47:06,200
and other things you have to do the people feel that the process itself is the punishment of going

422
00:47:06,200 –> 00:47:15,000
to the court rather than actually so they feel that so now I have a question for you in this

423
00:47:15,000 –> 00:47:21,160
matter so if somebody is unhappy with any part of the process whether it be law courses or any

424
00:47:21,160 –> 00:47:26,760
educational courses primarily relating to education students these sort of things what is the

425
00:47:27,960 –> 00:47:32,680
what is the remedy available to them so should for example I’ll give you a case so I live in Ameerpet

426
00:47:33,560 –> 00:47:41,240
in Hyderabad and my LAWCET center was given in the Chilkur Balaji temple

427
00:47:42,440 –> 00:47:49,160
so this is about 18 kilometers or so from my house and in the early in the morning so mine

428
00:47:49,160 –> 00:47:53,000
was 9 a.m session so I should wake up at 6:30 and reach there by eight o’clock and then

429
00:47:53,640 –> 00:47:57,160
do all that I had a vehicle so it was okay I went there comfortably

430
00:47:57,800 –> 00:48:06,760
but the house is in the most densely populated places it is the heart of the city we can call it

431
00:48:06,760 –> 00:48:11,320
in twin cities the Telangana state problem higher education or LAWCET could not find any

432
00:48:12,600 –> 00:48:18,120
any center they had to allot a center Moinabad district that outside of Hyderabad

433
00:48:18,760 –> 00:48:24,280
so what is the what sort of remedy do students have should they send a registered post should

434
00:48:24,280 –> 00:48:28,840
they go to the office and complain also or emails do you have any thoughts on this

435
00:48:29,640 –> 00:48:33,640
what should students do if they are facing some problems with the administration

436
00:48:36,200 –> 00:48:43,160
you see you should have a legal ground for any educating any issue of course this is an

437
00:48:43,160 –> 00:48:49,400
administrative issue of you will get in a center on these aspects you know generally

438
00:48:50,360 –> 00:48:57,000
what the courts would not like to intervene because they say that you know the system will see

439
00:48:57,640 –> 00:49:03,640
where the facilities for conducting the exam are available although of course you would have to

440
00:49:03,640 –> 00:49:10,920
face inconvenience and you have the very fact that you have chosen to appear for this examination

441
00:49:11,640 –> 00:49:17,880
you you know that I mean either you should have applied in time so that you get center of your

442
00:49:17,880 –> 00:49:24,120
choice of in your zone but if you have maybe delayed it so therefore you are getting a center

443
00:49:24,120 –> 00:49:30,040
very far off that could be I mean I mean this is an example i’m just telling that could be there

444
00:49:30,040 –> 00:49:36,440
but if you have a genuine grounds where your career which is going to affect your career

445
00:49:36,440 –> 00:49:41,080
which is which is affecting your rights you have to see what are your legal rights whether it is

446
00:49:41,080 –> 00:49:46,360
fundamental rights or any legal rights are affected in in somewhere other which is going

447
00:49:46,360 –> 00:49:53,800
to compromise your you know your decision so there you have a ground to approach first the

448
00:49:53,800 –> 00:49:59,560
authorities to see if you can you have a genuine difficulty let’s say there is a person who is

449
00:49:59,560 –> 00:50:03,960
handicapped you can’t travel that much he doesn’t have resources we can should certainly approach

450
00:50:03,960 –> 00:50:13,000
the authorities first to change the center then generally the authorities will accommodate but

451
00:50:13,000 –> 00:50:18,040
if they don’t accommodate then one can always approach a court of law but then you know going

452
00:50:18,040 –> 00:50:24,040
to court of law to file a writ and all it’s again a very cumbersome and very expensive process so

453
00:50:24,040 –> 00:50:31,480
therefore in matters like that one has to suffer a little bit inconvenience and face that

454
00:50:32,360 –> 00:50:42,040
so one has to be guard their own interest quite early in time but in their cases I don’t think

455
00:50:42,040 –> 00:50:48,680
there could be much of a legal help. What has been your biggest learning when it comes

456
00:50:48,680 –> 00:50:55,480
to the handling the PIL and you’ve gone through the process you’ve been there twice with the

457
00:50:55,480 –> 00:51:02,760
committee and expressed that you have to you were interested in filing the fighting the case yourself

458
00:51:03,320 –> 00:51:10,040
and what what has been your biggest learning? My learning in the sense is that of course

459
00:51:10,040 –> 00:51:15,160
It’s been good I mean of course I have since I have entered the law field very late in the

460
00:51:16,120 –> 00:51:26,680
age uh it’s been a good experience uh of course to face the court and and take up a PIL so I was

461
00:51:26,680 –> 00:51:34,200
taking up a normal other writs but PIL has got a more responsibility actually more than a normal

462
00:51:34,200 –> 00:51:40,040
Writ petition in a normal you are pleading a case of an individual but with certain

463
00:51:40,040 –> 00:51:46,600
grievance but here you are representing a kind of a large community and you have to really

464
00:51:47,240 –> 00:51:52,600
take it to the court and convince the court and persuade the court to say that thousands of

465
00:51:52,600 –> 00:51:58,120
students are affected thousands of people are affected and it’s really it has to touch them it

466
00:51:58,120 –> 00:52:04,440
has to appeal to them also they’d say because every day there are so many PILs are filed on

467
00:52:04,440 –> 00:52:12,440
different issues but the issue must be really there there again there is an issue that PIL

468
00:52:12,440 –> 00:52:16,520
you should not have an agenda of your own and you should not have an axe to grind with

469
00:52:17,720 –> 00:52:24,120
those kind of issues are also there many people file PIL you know somebody’s issue they will take

470
00:52:24,120 –> 00:52:32,600
it up in the garb of PIL they’ll know present that case the courts generally are reluctant to

471
00:52:32,600 –> 00:52:40,920
accept that case in fact some cases they even impose costs on such a petitioners so the court

472
00:52:40,920 –> 00:52:48,280
PIL has to be a genuine issue but if it is a genuine issue courts are the one in fact once

473
00:52:48,280 –> 00:52:53,480
you file a PIL it becomes a property of the court in fact even if you want to escape that

474
00:52:53,480 –> 00:52:59,960
you can’t you can you say okay you want to leave the court you can leave it to us we’ll ask somebody

475
00:52:59,960 –> 00:53:07,720
else to you know they will appoint an amicus and pursue the matter once the court is convinced that

476
00:53:08,440 –> 00:53:14,520
it is a genuine issue there so therefore the PILs have to be issue of substantial

477
00:53:15,320 –> 00:53:22,760
public importance and they must have a social relevance must have a usefulness of that

478
00:53:23,320 –> 00:53:27,560
they must appeal to the people and also to the general community I mean the

479
00:53:27,560 –> 00:53:33,240
even the media will cover that event once it matter is of public importance. Yes

480
00:53:35,160 –> 00:53:41,640
if you look at the this particular case it was in DC, they always highlighted it prominently

481
00:53:43,480 –> 00:53:50,040
all the papers all the media newspapers and tv channels have covered this thing because it

482
00:53:50,040 –> 00:53:55,560
was something which was as you said that you know people have taken it for granted and

483
00:53:55,560 –> 00:54:01,240
the admissions taking place sometime in the almost not a right time actually it should have

484
00:54:01,240 –> 00:54:07,080
begun in July but anyway it started about a month later so anyway it’s a good beginning

485
00:54:07,640 –> 00:54:13,960
so I mean we want to bring it and track the next academic year onwards it wants to begin in July

486
00:54:14,520 –> 00:54:21,400
so probably by next month by December I think we will get the hopefully we’ll

487
00:54:21,400 –> 00:54:28,360
court will pass orders on that so that from next academic year onwards the admissions take place

488
00:54:28,360 –> 00:54:33,800
in July see this year again the five-year law course students were deprived of their

489
00:54:33,800 –> 00:54:38,840
having the admissions in time because the admissions to engineering and medical courses

490
00:54:38,840 –> 00:54:42,920
medical of course this time was delayed but engineering and agriculture courses were

491
00:54:42,920 –> 00:54:48,440
conducted and the degree course admissions were held in July but the law course admissions

492
00:54:49,080 –> 00:54:55,720
were again this time was delayed by a month and they were held only in August end or so some of

493
00:54:55,720 –> 00:55:03,560
those students must have certainly not got an option they missed out this year for five

494
00:55:03,560 –> 00:55:10,680
year law course and you see you’re talking about the Andhra Pradesh in fact Andhra Pradesh last

495
00:55:10,680 –> 00:55:16,680
year also was held at the same time in June but their admissions are yet to take place

496
00:55:17,400 –> 00:55:22,680
yes so they are waiting those students are waiting why Telangana the admissions are

497
00:55:22,680 –> 00:55:28,600
completing why in Andhra it did not happen because there as usual the universities and

498
00:55:28,600 –> 00:55:35,160
the system is going to hold the counseling in November or December so I was suggesting

499
00:55:35,160 –> 00:55:42,200
someone that you also file a PIL in your Andhra High Court. I hope somebody can take it up

500
00:55:43,000 –> 00:55:48,920
because it’s something of importance and now I’d like to conclude because we have taken a lot of

501
00:55:48,920 –> 00:55:57,400
your valuable time if do you have any suggestions for students who are pursuing law or pursuing any

502
00:55:57,400 –> 00:56:05,720
subject regarding how they should approach their education? What are the rights they have?

503
00:56:05,720 –> 00:56:14,200
Anything that you would like to say yes students have certain entitlements rights that to have

504
00:56:14,200 –> 00:56:22,280
their teachers in place, good library, good facilities the conducting of exams all that is

505
00:56:23,080 –> 00:56:31,160
provided for on paper it is all there, and the law particularly is one area those who are interested

506
00:56:31,160 –> 00:56:39,480
must join and really pursue it with full seriousness during the three years if you attend the classes

507
00:56:40,280 –> 00:56:46,360
it should be very good you’ll get a lot of knowledge which the books studying books alone

508
00:56:46,440 –> 00:56:55,880
will not give you so one must there I have heard a number of good lawyers who have been good students

509
00:56:55,880 –> 00:57:00,920
I mean the law is a subject where you are a student for throughout the life I mean till you are

510
00:57:02,200 –> 00:57:07,960
pursuing the law career, one has to keep on studying which is a growing subject it’s a

511
00:57:07,960 –> 00:57:15,400
dynamic area it’s not a static thing like you know other sciences of the science are also growing

512
00:57:15,400 –> 00:57:22,360
but Law is something which is a very vast once one must develop a lot of interest to read and write

513
00:57:23,400 –> 00:57:30,520
so discuss, participate in the moot courts, you attend the courts I mean for instance those

514
00:57:30,520 –> 00:57:37,240
colleges in city very near to your college there will be some courts will be there either trial

515
00:57:37,240 –> 00:57:43,240
courts are the the other specialized courts like family courts or the industrial courts

516
00:57:43,240 –> 00:57:49,320
labour courts are of course High Court is itself in Hyderabad so you must make use of your time one

517
00:57:49,320 –> 00:57:57,320
must go attend the courts and watch the proceedings see how the advocates put up their arguments and

518
00:57:57,320 –> 00:58:03,560
it will be very interesting that’s how you can really and even those first generation lawyers also

519
00:58:03,560 –> 00:58:09,880
they can really make a mark even if you do not have any legal background you don’t have any

520
00:58:09,880 –> 00:58:15,640
support system of your parents or the lawyers your first generation if you have interest

521
00:58:15,640 –> 00:58:20,040
there are many cases where first generation lawyers have really risen to the top

522
00:58:20,040 –> 00:58:27,000
you can rise to the top most position and being a very noted advocates so it’s everything is

523
00:58:27,000 –> 00:58:36,600
possible under the sky you can really achieve the best so I advise you to utilize your Law college time

524
00:58:36,600 –> 00:58:40,360
for studying law. thank you thank you

525
00:58:44,760 –> 00:58:51,320
maybe after the case is concluded we can get together and we can give you an update

526
00:58:53,480 –> 00:59:02,520
Absolutely! So friends this is the Mr Bhaskar Reddy who has done so much for the legal

527
00:59:02,520 –> 00:59:09,160
fraternity in Telangana thousands of students are impacted by this public litigation and

528
00:59:09,800 –> 00:59:17,480
it has sort of made the authorities wake up from their slumber and make sure that they act expeditedly

529
00:59:17,480 –> 00:59:24,120
and swiftly without delaying the the course admissions and putting the lives of students

530
00:59:24,120 –> 00:59:31,640
in limbo thank you for watching hope all of you have a great time and make sure to ask for your

531
00:59:31,640 –> 00:59:39,080
Rights. thank you thank you