A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court seeking action against educational institutions in Uttar Pradesh that are allegedly operating without due recognition from statutory bodies.
The PIL, moved on behalf of Saurabh Singh through advocates Siddharth Shankar Dubey and Animesh Upadhyay, also calls for a specific probe into Shri Ramswaroop Memorial University (SRMU), Barabanki. The plea alleges that the university admitted students into law courses without recognition from the Bar Council of India (BCI). It has also urged the court to direct the BCI to publish on its official website the updated list of recognised and derecognised law colleges to ensure transparency for students.
The matter, which has been filed in the registry, is expected to come up for hearing next week.
On September 1, protests erupted at SRMU after student groups, including the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), accused the university of irregularities in its law programmes. The demonstration turned violent when police resorted to a lathicharge, leaving several students and ABVP workers injured. The incident drew sharp criticism from both opposition parties and the ruling BJP.
Following the unrest, the Uttar Pradesh Higher Education Commission ordered an inquiry into the university’s law courses. Subsequently, an FIR was registered against SRMU for allegedly running unrecognised law programmes for three academic sessions and admitting students for 2025–26 without proper approval.
In a separate action, the state revenue department imposed a fine of nearly ₹28 lakh on the university and directed it to vacate around six bighas of government land within 30 days, citing alleged encroachment.
However, the university administration has strongly denied the allegations. Registrar Dr. Neerja Jindal stated that no notice of eviction or encroachment had been received. She further rejected claims of operating unrecognised courses, clarifying that the issue pertained only to the renewal of recognition for its law programmes. According to her, the BCI has already renewed approval for BA LLB, BCom LLB, and LLB courses offered at SRMU.
The PIL seeks judicial scrutiny of institutions across Uttar Pradesh functioning without recognition, a move that could have significant implications for regulatory oversight in higher education. The High Court’s intervention, once the matter is listed, is likely to determine the future course of action against errant universities and clarify the recognition status of SRMU’s law programmes.
