In response to a Right to Information (RTI) request, the Bar Council of India (BCI) disclosed that only 48.36% of candidates successfully passed the 18th edition of the All India Bar Examination (AIBE 18), which took place on December 10, 2023.

Advocate Shibu Babu submitted a query to the Bar Council of India (BCI) encompassing a range of concerns, such as the examination's frequency, registration procedures, rescheduling occurrences, the testing agency, the non-disclosure of candidate marks, delays in releasing final answer keys, and result publication delays.

The BCI disclosed that out of the total 1,48,781 registered candidates, 1,44,014 actually took the exam. Among these examinees, 69,646 individuals (48.36%) successfully passed, while 74,368 (51.64%) did not meet the passing criteria.

Regarding the frequency of the examination, the BCI clarified that although regulations mandate the All India Bar Examination (AIBE) to be held twice annually, it faced disruptions in scheduling due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The BCI further noted that 7 questions were excluded from the examination based on the recommendation of a High-Level Monitoring Committee, which reviewed objections raised by numerous candidates participating in AIBE-18.

For all other inquiries, the BCI referenced the Supreme Court's ruling in CBSE and Anr v. Adhitya Bandopadhyay and Ors, highlighting that the requested information did not fall under the definition of 'information' as outlined in the RTI Act. The court's decision emphasized that a public authority is not obligated to provide information that necessitates drawing inferences, making assumptions, or constitutes advice or opinion.