04 December,2025 04:18 PM IST | Mumbai | Aditi Alurkar
Students also reported the absence of drinking water and raised sanitation concerns, including non-functional or broken washrooms. Representational Pic
In the week following the 2025 bar exam, the Bombay City Lawyer Group raised concerns regarding the exam centres, calling them unfit, inaccessible, and unhygienic. The All India Bar Examination (AIBE-XX) took place on November 30, with students appearing for the annual exam across centres located in Nalasopara, Vasai, Thane, Mumbai, and Navi Mumbai.
According to the lawyers' group, the examination centres were overcrowded and poorly ventilated, and had infrastructural issues such as broken benches. Students also reported the absence of drinking water and raised sanitation concerns, including non-functional or broken washrooms.
"I live in Govandi, Mumbai, and I was allotted a Nalasopara centre, which is over 60 kilometres away. It was a long journey to the centre, and it was not easily accessible by public transport either. Many centres were actually school buildings, and we had to use small benches to sit through the three-hour exam," said Faiyaz Alam Shaikh, who appeared for the exam this year.
Students further pointed out that many centres lacked elevators, making access difficult for older applicants. At a nearby centre, female students raised concerns about broken and inaccessible washrooms.
"Our class had neither fans nor lights. The benches were very uncomfortable. I was uncomfortable myself; however, there was also a pregnant law aspirant sitting behind me, and I cannot imagine her plight. The washrooms were unhygienic, and the space where students were supposed to keep their bags had garbage," said Komal Gupta, another examinee.
The group also criticised the lack of a grievance-redressal system where students could file complaints on the day of the exam. Students are now calling for a supervisory committee consisting of retired judges, senior advocates, academicians, and administrators to help monitor and reform how the bar exams are conducted across the country.
"The AIBE is conducted by the Bar Council of India, from guidelines to arrangements, and the State Bar Council has no role in it. This time around, it was reported that the bar exam was especially tough. Students can submit their complaints in writing to the Maharashtra State Bar Council. These can then be discussed and recommended to the Bar Council of India. At the moment, we have received no such complaints," said Adv Ahmedkhan Usmankhan Pathan, Chairman, Maharashtra and Goa Bar Council.
