Sorry in advance for the possibly stupid doubt. I am a current fourth-year BA LLB student. I will be graduating in August 2025. I am keen on appearing for the Delhi Judicial Service exam, which is conducted in December but the registrations open in November. However, one of the prerequisites is that you have to be eligible to practise under the Advocates Act. Does this mean I have to appear for the AIBE first before sitting for the DJS, or will a law degree be sufficient? If the former, when should I sit for the AIBE? Wouldn't November be too late and May be even before my degree and hence not possible?
1. You don't need to clear AIBE to write DJS. See the qualifications required for the exam, it says "(b) a person practising as an Advocate in India or a person qualified to be admitted as an Advocate under the Advocates Act, 1961". You can be practicing as an advocate/be qualified to be admitted just on the basis of your law degree - there's no distinction between provisional enrolment and permanent.
2. DJS Exam does not take place in December every year. Just because in 2023 it took place in December does not mean it will be so in 2024 also. Moreover, this is for prelims. In fact, there's no guarantee that the exam would be conducted in 2024 altogether. There have been several instances in the past where the exam has not been conducted for multiple years at a stretch. The last prelims exam (which was in 2021, if I recall correctly) was in April.
BCI is supposed to conduct exams twice, each year. At times, BCI for whatever reasons, ends up NOT conducting exams per that schedule. In fact, after the October 2021 AIBE-16, the exam was conducted only in February 2023 (AIBE-17). Realising that their tardy planning was going to be prejudicial to AIBE candidates, it was declared on the AIBE website, and if I recollect accurately, also on the BCI website, that the period between examination date of AIBE-16 to result declaration of AIBE-17 would be exempted from the two-year limit to clearing AIBE. I don't know if that was only due to the wrecked schedule of AIBE 14 and/ or AIBE 15 due to the pandemic or what. It might not harm to assume that they would make such an exemption announcement again, if the BCI does not conduct the examination as required. Your enrollment will not be affected.
2. DJS Exam does not take place in December every year. Just because in 2023 it took place in December does not mean it will be so in 2024 also. Moreover, this is for prelims. In fact, there's no guarantee that the exam would be conducted in 2024 altogether. There have been several instances in the past where the exam has not been conducted for multiple years at a stretch. The last prelims exam (which was in 2021, if I recall correctly) was in April.
2023, December. 2021, April. So not in December every year. Therefore the concern expressed in the OP will not arise.