LLM aspirants rise by 10%; 3,072 apply for Mumbai university entrance exam

The competition to join the Master of Laws (LLM) course at the University of Mumbai (MU) is set to get tougher.

The varsity received 3,072 applications for its common entrance test (CET), up from the 2,800 applications received last year, the department of law has revealed. In 2016, around 1,700 aspirants had registered for the test.

According to Rashmi Oza, the head of the law department, the rise in applications can be attributed to the fact that the varsity’s department of law is the only centre in the city that offers LLM.

There are 600 seats available in the first year of the course across six specialisations - constitutional law, criminal law, business law, environmental law, human rights and intellectual property rights. MU’s Ratnagiri sub-campus is the only other centre for the post-graduation course, which offers one specialisation - criminal law.

The university twice extended the registration deadline for the entrance examination, giving time for more students to sign up for the test. The registration process culminated on Saturday.

The growing popularity of LLM is consistent with the rising demand for undergraduate law courses. In the last one year, the enrolment in undergraduate law courses in Maharashtra has increased by 39%, with more 91% seats for the three-year LLB courses filled this academic year.

Despite the increase in demand, the number of seats available for LLM is unlikely to increase any time soon. According to an MU source, several colleges have sought the varsity and the state government’s approval to increase seats in the colleges for the law courses.

In 2003, the varsity had 150 seats for the Masters course – 25 for each specialisation, which were later increased to 300 and eventually 600.

“The LLM intake is sufficient,” said Oza.