The Bombay High Court has laid out a detailed plan offering over 15 law colleges linked to the University of Mumbai a way to address faculty shortages and maintain full student intake for the 2026–27 academic year. This decision came in light of the case Shri Hari Educational Trust v. University of Mumbai & Ors.
These institutions had contested notifications and communications from the University of Mumbai, which penalized them for not having their teaching staff and principals approved, slashing student seats by 50% and levying substantial fines just before the 2026–27 admissions.
During the initial court hearing, these law colleges consented to pay fines “under protest” to meet the Bar Council of India’s (BCI) portal deadline of July 31. This step was followed by discussions between university officials and college administrators. The university provided a comprehensive chart outlining specific shortcomings for each college, along with a proposed recruitment plan.
Judicial Directive and Compliance Timeline
On August 7, a bench comprising Justices RI Chagla and Farhan P Dubash ruled that as long as the colleges adhere to the revised recruitment schedule, their sanctioned student intake capacity for 2026–27 will remain unaffected. Colleges are required to give written assurances by August 12, 2026, committing to the court-sanctioned timeline. Non-compliance will lead to the reinstatement of the university’s de-affiliation orders.
Recruitment Roadmap
After detailed discussions, a mutually agreed timeline for faculty recruitment was established:
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- By August 10: Colleges must submit draft recruitment advertisements to the University, maintaining a 1:40 teacher-student ratio.
- By August 13: University approval for draft advertisements must be granted.
- By August 17–18: Advertisements should be published in newspapers, allowing 15 days for applications.
- By September 2-10: Candidate interviews conducted by the selection committee.
- By September 22: The selection committee must submit its report to the University.
- By September 30: The University should formally approve the appointments of Principals and Assistant Professors.
The court instructed that once a college submits its undertaking, the University must issue a new communication within one working day, affirming that previous student intake restrictions for 2026–27 are lifted. Furthermore, the BCI has been instructed not to penalize the University for granting affiliation to colleges that comply with this order.
Legal Representation
Senior Advocate Mihir Desai, along with a team of advocates including Vijay Thorat, Pooja Thorat, Shailendra Pendse, and others, represented the law colleges. On the other hand, Senior Advocate Anil Anturkar, along with Rui Rodrigues and other advocates, appeared for the University. Additional Government Pleaders RA Solunke, Kavita Solunke, and Vaishali Nimbalkar represented the State, while Advocates Prasad Gajbhiye and Rutuja Joshi appeared for the BCI.
The order provides a structured path for law colleges to rectify deficiencies and retain their student intake levels, subject to strict adherence to the outlined timeline.
