Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal has said law will be taught as a subject in schools as well as in colleges.
Mr Sibal was addressing a gathering of lawyers at his official residence last evening.
According to the HRD Minister, law is an integral part of democracy and people must have some basic knowledge of law and such knowledge will be conducive to promote the concept of rule of law in the country.
Mr Sibal who is presently having a running battle with Bar Council of India (BCI), a statutory body for regulating and supervising legal education in the country, also feels that 90 per cent people in the country particularly, in rural areas have little knowledge of law and this is why it should be taught as a subject from the school-level only to spread legal literacy among the masses.
He also said right now there are no board exams up to class 8th and from 2011 board exams shall also be abolished. Mr Sibal also plans to abolish the board exams for class 12th gradually.
BCI is opposed to the interference of Union HRD Minister in legal education but Mr Sibal is determined to push through his agenda of reforms in legal education and whole purview that the Advocates Act provide that the decision of the Union Government will prevail over BCI.
