Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra revealed that nearly 35-40 per cent of advocates across the country practice law with fake degrees.
He said these individuals obtained fabricated certificates and entered courts wearing black coats and bands without genuine qualifications.
Mishra explained that when the BCI initiated degree verification, about 40 per cent of advocates did not submit forms. He said this raised suspicion that many of them were fake. He added that he has already informed the Chief Justice of India about the issue.
The fake advocates in India controversy gained attention after the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, expressed doubts about the genuineness of law degrees during a hearing. The CJI remarked that he might ask the Central Bureau of Investigation to verify degrees, noting that some unemployed youngsters with fake credentials attack systems under the guise of activism.
Mishra clarified that the CJI’s “cockroach” comment referred to those who obtained fake degrees and entered the profession without proper qualifications. He emphasised that the background of the statement was misunderstood on social media.
