LUCKNOW, Sept. 4 -- The academic crisis further deepened at Shri Ram Swaroop Memorial University (SRMU), Barabanki, as Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) workers, who were lathicharged during a peaceful protest on Monday, alleged that law courses at this private university have not been approved by the Bar Council of India (BCI) since 2022-23 and yet the university has been enrolling students year after year. Uttar Pradesh higher education minister Yogendra Upadhyay said that when the matter came to his knowledge initially, he spoke to SRMU registrar and specifically told her not to enrol students in law courses till such time the university gets a renewal letter from BCI. He said the university has committed a crime and it has been decided by the state government to lodge an FIR against the university. "Efforts will be made to accommodate the enrolled students in other institutions and interest of the students will be protected," he said. The minister's statement that SRMU has committed crime assumes significance on Wednesday after chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday had ordered Ayodhya divisional commissioner Rajesh Kumar to investigate the truth behind non-renewal of law courses and inspector general of police, Ayodhya, Praveen Kumar to probe the lathi-charge incident. SRMU chancellor Pankaj Agarwal clarified, "It's a normal practice by BCI to accord regular extensions but a bit late. Not just with SRMU, but it's a common practice with BCI for many of the institutions. They give it before the completion of course, also in their online form all the students' details are submitted for 2023 and 2024." SRMU registrar Neerja Jindal said currently about 11,000 students are enrolled with the institute. "The law department of the university has been approved by the BCI since 2013. It is the process of renewal only which happens every year. The offline document verification has been approved. And in online mode fee submission has been approved since 2023-24 and 2024-25. The only issue is that our renewal letter has not come. It is pending at BCI end. It is the unsaid code of conduct that BCI first tends to go after the institution whose document, paper work or fees have not been deposited. Our recognition is not under any threat because all documents and two years renewal fees up to 2027 have been submitted. Our students have appeared in the exam and degrees have been awarded," she said. When asked why students are on a warpath, the registrar said maybe somebody must have misguided our students. "On Friday, some of the students and parents came to my office. I showed them all the documents and they were satisfied. There is no confusion of students losing out an academic year," she said. "If there is an attempt to tarnish the image of the university, the administration will not shy away from taking legal action," she added....