AIBE 19 Exam: The Supreme Court has granted relief to two petitioners who requested the use of computers and soft copies of Bare Acts for the upcoming All India Bar Examination (AIBE). AIBE 19 Exam Date is December 22, 2024.
AIBE 19 Exam 2024 will be conducted across the country in pen-and-paper mode. Earlier the Court allowed a 100 per cent blind law student to use a scribe during the CLAT 2025 PG exam.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan was hearing petitions from three law students with benchmark disabilities, seeking reasonable accommodations for the CLAT PG and AIBE exams.
The first petitioner is a 90 per cent low-vision disabled law graduate from NALSAR University of Law, seeking permission to use a computer for the AIBE 19 exam. The second petitioner is a 100 per cent blind law student from Government Law School, Mumbai, requesting the use of a computer and clarification on the AIBE 19 eligibility criteria for scribes. The third petitioner, also 100 per cent blind, is a law graduate from Auro University, Surat, seeking access to soft copies of Bare Acts and permission to use a computer during the AIBE XIX Exam.
Today, the Bar Council of India (BCI) informed the Court that it had agreed to the demands of two candidates who wanted to use computers for the AIBE exam. Advocate Rahul Bajaj, representing the petitioners, clarified that the students required screen readers and wanted to give their answers on the computer. He further emphasised that the Job Access With Speech (JAWS) software is an accessible and affordable solution for specially-abled individuals.
Justice Kant remarked that financial constraints should not be an issue for the BCI, suggesting that they could recover costs through increased fees if necessary. The Court also addressed the BCI’s policy on providing students with two hours before the exam to check the computer and software. The Court granted relief to the petitioners, allowing them to check their computers a day before the exam. Additionally, the BCI was directed to provide JAWS software at no cost to the students.
The Court also clarified that students with disabilities may use their own keyboards. These provisions align with the Union’s Office Memorandum issued on August 29, 2018, by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
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