The Gujarat High Court has issued notice to the Bar Council of India (BCI) in a plea filed by Urvi Acharya, an LLM graduate in Criminal Law, who failed the All India Bar Examination (AIBE) 19 and is now seeking grace marks. The petitioner has alleged a lack of transparency in the examination process and questioned the basis of her failure, even after applying for rechecking.
AIBE is a national-level certification examination conducted by BCI, mandatory for law graduates who wish to practice in Indian courts. It is open to final-year law students as well. The exam follows an open-book format and is designed to assess basic legal knowledge and analytical skills, acting as a qualifying benchmark for entry into the legal profession.
Urvi appeared for the AIBE in December 2024 but failed to clear the test. Disputing the result, she requested a re-evaluation. However, the BCI confirmed her failure even after rechecking, without offering a specific explanation.
Representing the petitioner, Advocate Prateek Jasani submitted before the Court that seven multiple-choice questions in the AIBE were officially withdrawn after the exam. As a result, the total number of valid questions dropped from 100 to 93. Accordingly, the qualifying score should also have been adjusted—from 45 marks (45% of 100) to 42 marks (45% of 93).
Jasani argued that Urvi, who had completed her LLM with first-class distinction, had attempted all 100 questions in good faith. Given that seven of those questions were annulled post-examination, she should be awarded grace marks for them. However, the BCI has not clarified how it adjusted scoring for these withdrawn questions.
The High Court, taking cognizance of the issues raised, has sought a response from the Bar Council of India. The matter is now pending further hearing.
