Mon Nov 17 11:37:24 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text, followed by a news article based on it:

Summary:

K. Balu, co-chairman of the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (BCTNP), is urging the Indian Union government to amend the Advocates Act of 1961 during the upcoming winter session of Parliament. He is specifically requesting an increase in the enrollment fees collected by Bar Councils from law graduates, arguing that the current fees, last revised in 1993, are insufficient to cover the increased administrative and regulatory expenses of the State-level Bar Councils. He highlights the lack of government funding and the rising costs of tasks such as background checks, digital record keeping, and staff salaries. He also cites a Supreme Court order limiting fees to those prescribed in the Act, making an amendment necessary.

News Article:

Tamil Nadu Bar Council Urges Amendment to Advocates Act for Fee Hike

CHENNAI, November 17, 2025 – K. Balu, co-chairman of the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (BCTNP), has called on the Union government to amend the Advocates Act of 1961 during the winter session of Parliament. In a letter addressed to Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and the Bar Council of India (BCI), Balu argued for an increase in the enrollment fees collected from law graduates by State Bar Councils.

Balu, also chairman of BCTNP’s enrollment committee, emphasized that the current fees of ₹125 for Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe applicants and ₹750 for others have remained unchanged since 1993. He stated that these fees are inadequate to cover the rising administrative expenses incurred by Bar Councils in verifying applicants’ backgrounds, maintaining digital records, and paying staff salaries.

“Bar Councils receive no financial assistance from either the Union or State governments,” Balu noted, underscoring the financial burden on these statutory bodies. He also pointed out that a recent Supreme Court ruling in Gaurav Kumar versus Union of India (2024) has limited Bar Councils to collecting only those fees prescribed in the 1961 Act. As a result, he argues, an immediate amendment to the legislation is crucial to ensure the financial viability of State Bar Councils and their ability to effectively regulate the legal profession.

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