The Bar Council of India (BCI) has issued a directive barring private law universities from utilizing prefixes such as "Bharatiya," "National," "Indian," and similar terms for organizing moot courts or other competitions.

The directive specifies that these restrictions do not apply to National Law Universities (NLUs) or government-affiliated central or state universities.

This decision references the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950, which prohibits the unauthorized use of certain names and terms that imply government or national endorsement without explicit consent from the Central Government.

Under Section 3 of the Act, individuals and organizations are prohibited from using names like "India," "Indian," "National," "Bharat," "Bharatiya," or "Rashtriya," or any title that suggests government patronage for professional or commercial purposes without prior approval. Section 4 further restricts the registration of entities using names that violate these provisions.

The BCI has noted that this measure aims to curb the misuse of such titles, which has resulted in misleading practices in the past, particularly as some institutions have hosted "all India" competitions without the necessary authority.

Additionally, it clarified that the BCI is authorized to host such competitions, as it is a statutory body established to regulate legal education in India.

According to the directive, institutions must refrain from using the aforementioned titles without explicit permission from the central government. However, NLUs and central or state universities may use the term "National" for their competitions, provided they notify the central government in advance to maintain transparency.

The circular emphasizes that compliance with these directives and the Emblems Act is mandatory, and the BCI will enforce these guidelines rigorously. It aims to ensure that sponsorship is not obtained under false pretenses, as only the exempted universities will be permitted to refer to their competitions as "National-level competitions" after informing the central government.

Failure to comply with these regulations will result in strict actions, including the potential revocation of university recognition, legal proceedings under the Emblems Act, and disqualifications from organizing future moot court competitions.