New Delhi, July 18 -- The Bar Council of India (BCI) has made it mandatory for law students, interns and newly enrolled advocates to give separate undertakings and affidavits promising to follow social media guidelines aimed at protecting the dignity of courts and the legal profession.

Under the new directions, every person seeking enrolment as an advocate will have to submit a separate sworn affidavit agreeing to follow the BCI's social media and digital ethics rules. Law students will also have to sign a separate undertaking at the time of admission and again before starting internships, acknowledging that they will follow the prescribed code of conduct.

The BCI has also directed all State Bar Councils, Bar Associations and law colleg...