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Studying an LLM (Master of Laws) Program in India

Study an LLM in India The Indian nation was a British colony and was subsequently referred to as the 'Jewel of the British Crown'. During the colonial era, the British Empire was interested in India's natural resources and commodities such as: spices (pepper, curry), silk, indigo, gold, cotton and other products. In 1876, Queen Victoria was declared Empress of India, and British monarchs adopted this title until 1947.

The name India stemmed from the word 'Indus', which is from the old Persian word 'Hindus'. Similarly, 'Hindus' was derived from the Sanskrit word 'Sindhu' which historically referred to the Indus River. India is a vast and culturally diverse nation; four world religions originated from the country: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.

The Indian Rupee is the country's currency.

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Reasons to study your LLM in India

Here are some reasons why you should choose India for your LLM or postgraduate law studies.

English language tuition – one of India's official languages is English (the other is Hindi) and most universities and law schools operate in English. This makes it a popular place for international students from across Asia to come and study. Of course, because there are many languages including Hindi, you will find that your fellow students will speak English and often a local language as well and being able to learn another language will help you throughout your career.

Another culture – immersing yourself in another culture will help you work with people from different cultures and countries for the rest of your life. Learning how other people live and work will help you develop soft skills that will help with any career, especially if you want to work for an international organisation.

International network – studying abroad is a great way to make contacts outside of your usual network and if you plan carefully, then you should be able to meet people who you will be able to work with in the future.

Familiar teaching methods – law schools in India will be familiar to European and British students and most qualifications are recognised outside of India. Students will attend lectures and tutorials to learn the course, and will submit essays and exams to be assessed. To gain entry to law school in India, most students will have had to undertake a standardised test, often the Law School Admissions Test used around the world or a Postgraduate Entrance Test for an LLM.

Indian legal system – India has a constitution and a Common Law system that is largely based on the British system of government. In addition to this there are plenty of laws that are based on Hindu and Islamic religious laws, and this makes it attractive to many international students from countries where these religions also influence the law.

Welcoming to students – India has a warm and welcoming culture and there is plenty to do outside of your studies. The Indian government wants to encourage international students to come to the country for their studies and aimed to increase the number of international students from 45,000 in 2016 to 200,000 by 2023.

LLM in India

Where to study law in India

There are many good law schools in India.

Top 10 law schools in India

This table shows the top 10 law schools in India according to recent rankings from India Today.

Ranking	Indian Law School
1	National Law School of India University
2	The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences
3	Symbiosis Society’s Law College
4	ILS Law College
5	Faculty of Law, Banaras Hindu University
6	Amity Law School
7	Faculty of Law, Aligarh Muslim University
8	Bharati Vidyapeeth’s New Law College
9	Faculty of Law, Jamia Millia Islamia
10	Christ College of Law

Source

All of these law schools offer LLM courses, some of which are specialised and some are general Master of Laws programs – let's take a look at what they offer in more detail.

National Law School of India University (NLSIU) is situated in Bangalore, India and is one of the top forerunners, providing quality education in India. Students can study the LLM degree program and it is a one year course admitting 75 students per year. The National Law School of India University is often regarded as the best institution to study the law in India and offers specialisms in Private Law and the interface between Law and Society.

The ILS Law College offers an LLM concentrating on International Law or Business Law.

Symbiosis Society's Law College offers an LLM specialising in Business and Corporate Law, Constitutional Law and Administrative Law, Innovation, Technology and Intellectual Property Law, Law, Policy and Good Governance, Criminal Law and Security Law, and Human Rights Law.

Students can specialise in Media Law, Corporate Law, International Law, Intellectual Property Law, Criminal Law, Family Law, Tax Law and Health Law in the LLM course at Amity Law School.

The Faculty of Law, Jamia Millia Islamia offers specialisation in Criminal Law, Corporate Law and Personal Law.

Christ College of Law has specialisations in Constitutional and Administrative Law, Intellectual Property and Trade Law, and Corporate and Commercial Law.

Locations of law schools in India

There are a few cities in India where there is a concentration of excellent law schools, but as a general rule law schools are spread out across India.

The National Law School of India University is located in Bangalore as is the Christ College of Law, The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences is in Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta).

The ILS Law College, Bharati Vidyapeeth's New Law College and the Symbiosis Society's Law College are all located in Pune.

The Faculty of Law, Banaras Hindu University is in the ancient city of Varanasi and Amity Law School has a number of campuses in Lucknow, Gurgaon, Gwalior, Mumbai and Raipur.

Aligarh Muslim University is in the city of Aligarh and Jamia Millia Islamia is in Delhi

Tuition fees and living costs in India

Tuition fees

The tuition fees for the LLM programs in India for international LLM students are relatively low when compared to LLM tuition fees worldwide. Students at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) should expect to pay 255,000 rupees for the year – which is approximately £2,500.

This amount is broken down as follows:

Admission fee (one time) – Rs. 11,000
Tuition and Facilities fee – Rs. 244,000
Total fee per annum – Rs. 255,000

Living costs

In addition to the tuition fees students are advised by the Indian government to budget for around $400 US dollars per month to cover their living costs, although this amount may vary from city to city.

Expenses	Amount in USD$
Accommodation	$150
Food and Housekeeping	$100
Mobile Phone	$10
Personal Expenses	$50
Books and Stationery	$30
Transport	$45
Laundry	$15
Monthly Total	$400

Source

It is advised that students have enough funds to cover their tuition and living costs before embarking on their LLM program, in order to fully focus on their studies. There are some law school scholarships available at law schools in India – so if you do need some help with your funding, do some research and see if you can find any funding that you are eligible for.

Application and admissions

Admission to the LLM program is based on the candidate’s performance at the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). Admission usually requires a merit at the CLAT test and good LLB degree from a recognized university.

Some universities demand an application fee of about Rs. 5,000, this fee is usually included in the total tuition fee. If you are an overseas student, you will also be required to get an Indian student visa.

Student visa requirements to study in India

Study in India The visa application process for LLM students wishing to take up a place on a course in India is not particularly complicated, in fact it is similar to many other nations’ visa application processes and most international students will need to follow the same procedures, unless they are from Nepal or Bhutan.

Student visas in India cost up to around USD $100 and payment should be included with your application. The cost depends on the length of your course. UK passport holders are required to provide only the basic documentation, although other nationals will sometimes need to supply additional information.

All LLM international students on full-time campus-based courses in India are required to get a student visa. Students from all countries, apart from Nepal and Bhutan, require student visas before they enter India to start their course. There are freedom of movement agreements in place between Nepal and India as well as Bhutan and India, and this means that students from these countries do not require visas.

All students apply online and once the online application is made the Indian Bureau of Immigration will advise you on where you need to send your documentation to – which will probably be an Indian Mission, Visa Application Centre or Indian Embassy based in your home country. If you are unable to complete the application online, you can contact your local Indian Embassy and they will arrange to send you the necessary application form.

Examinations are often a part of the application process to law schools and universities in India. Because of this, there is a provisional student visa that allows potential international students to spend six months in India applying to courses. After the six-month period students can convert their provisional student visa into a full student visa once they have been accepted onto a course through the Bureau of Immigration or return home and apply for a full student visa from there.

If you enter India with a tourist visa to apply for courses, then you cannot apply for a student visa from within India. For those students who do not need to go to India to take examinations during the application process, apply for your student visa as soon as you are accepted onto your course and have the funding in place.

Student visa documentation checklist

Although different nationalities will require different documentation to obtain a student visa in India, here’s a basic checklist of the information you will need to provide to get your Indian student visa.

Evidence of the place on a full-time academic course at a recognised institution.
Evidence of financial support or funding to prove that you can pay for the tuition fees and to support yourself.
At least six months of validity on your passport
Photocopy of your passport
Two passport-sized photos
Details of your university
Proof of your residential address in India

Additional information is often required from international students who do not hold a UK passport, or have dual nationality, or have a passport from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or China.

What to do when you aren’t studying

India is a country with many fun and interesting sights. Breath-taking scenic areas to explore include the Taj Mahal an epitome of beautifully crafted architecture, Ganges, Lotus Temple, Konark Son Temple and the Valley of Flowers National Park.

India has played a major role in popularising the game of cricket, the sport is undoubtedly the most popular in India with reputable players such as Sachin Tendulkar. While living in India students are likely to get plenty of opportunities to play and watch cricket matches.

Night life in India is vibrant and very animated. Many new clubs are springing up lin the big cities and there are classy bars in 5-star hotels – these are quite expensive bars and are usually patronised by rich, immaculately dressed crowd.