The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition challenging the Bar Council of India’s (BCI) fee structure for conducting the All India Bar Examination (AIBE), holding that the charge of ₹3,500 was not unconstitutional.
A bench comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Sandeep Mehta observed that the BCI incurs substantial expenditure in organizing the nationwide examination, and therefore, levying the fee cannot be considered arbitrary or violative of the Constitution.
The petition, filed by advocate Sanyam Gandhi, had argued that the fee structure discriminated against candidates and violated Article 14 (Right to Equality) and Article 19(1)(g) (Right to Practice Profession) of the Constitution, in addition to Section 24(1)(f) of the Advocates Act, 1961. Gandhi had sought a prohibition on the BCI from charging such fees in the future and a refund of amounts collected from applicants for the All India Bar Exam 2025 (AIBE-XIX).
According to the petition, the BCI charges ₹3,500 plus incidental charges from General and OBC candidates, and ₹2,500 plus incidental charges from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates. The petitioner argued that this additional financial burden was unjustified and unconstitutional.
The bench, however, noted that Gandhi had been previously directed to approach the BCI before moving the court. Finding no constitutional infirmity in the fee structure, the Supreme Court dismissed the plea.
