The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition challenging the ₹3,500 fee charged by the Bar Council of India (BCI) for conducting the All India Bar Examination (AIBE).
A bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Sandeep Mehta held that the fee structure was justified, noting that the BCI incurs significant expenses in conducting the nationwide examination. The judges clarified that charging such fees does not violate any provisions of the Constitution.
Challenge To Fee Structure
The plea, filed by advocate Sanyam Gandhi, had questioned the BCI’s practice of charging ₹3,500 from General and OBC candidates and ₹2,500 from SC/ST candidates, apart from incidental charges. Gandhi argued that this system was arbitrary, violated Article 14 (Right to Equality) and Article 19(1)(g) (Right to Practice Profession) of the Constitution, and contravened Section 24(1)(f) of the Advocates Act, 1961.
The petition also sought a direction prohibiting such charges in future and refund of fees already collected for AIBE-XIX (2025).
Court’s Observations
The bench pointed out that Gandhi had earlier been advised to approach the BCI before moving the court. It found no merit in the claim that the fee was unconstitutional, emphasizing that conducting an exam of such scale inevitably involves heavy expenditure.
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