New Delhi: The Bar Council of India (BCI) has not recognised evening LL.B. courses across the country since the academic year 2000-01, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Under the earlier Rules of Legal Education, 1989, certain universities and law colleges were permitted to offer evening law courses, subject to prescribed standards. However, the BCI discontinued their recognition through the Rules of Legal Education, 1999, effective from 2000-01.

The government said the position has been maintained under the Rules of Legal Education, 2008, which mandate that the LL.B. programme be conducted as a regular, full-time professional course with fixed classroom hours, minimum attendance, and teaching schedules between 8 am and 7 pm.

As a result, no evening, part-time, weekend, online or distance LL.B. courses have been recognised since 2000-01.

Law graduates who completed evening courses up to 1999-2000 remain eligible for enrolment as advocates, Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal said in a written reply.