Advocates must renew their licence to practice every five years after paying Rs 600 as renewal fees, according to a resolution passed by the Bar Council of India (BCI) on 1 June.

BCI chairman Manan Kumar Mishra said that the measure was aimed at advocates getting “engaged in private services”, reported the Times of India.

Mishra said that the state bar councils were facing a difficulty in implementing welfare schemes for practicing lawyers after a large number of lawyers undertook private services and businesses having obtained sanads (practice licences) from the councils.

The resolution from the meeting of 1 June was not available at the time of going to press.

Last month, targeting fake law degree holders who enrol themselves in various state bar councils, the BCI published a circular on it’s website making it compulsory for all law students, teachers and law schools to register themselves on a new online database, after payment of a registration fee.

In April this year, BCI announced its plan to roll out a Unique Identification Number (UIN) system for all lawyers and law students studying at recognised law schools in India, by September this year.

A unique ID number project was first proposed by former BCI chairman Gopal Subramanium in 2011.