MUMBAI, July 5 -- The University of Mumbai (MU) has denied affiliation certificates to around 20 law colleges, preventing them from taking part in the Centralised Admission Process (CAP) for three-year and five-year law courses conducted through the CET Cell. The move is expected to reduce nearly 2,000 to 2,500 law seats this academic year, increasing the competition for aspiring students across Maharashtra. The decision comes after the university carried out inspections of affiliated law colleges through specially appointed committees. An official told HT that based entirely on the inspection reports, MU refused affiliation to colleges that failed to meet key academic and infrastructure requirements. Colleges without approved regular principals, qualified professors, and essential infra facilities were not granted temporary affiliation. The CET Cell had fixed June 30 as the deadline for colleges to complete their registration for the admission process. Since the 20 colleges did not get affiliation certificates, they were unable to register and will remain outside the CAP rounds. Student registrations for law admissions are already underway, with the last date for the three-year LLB course registration being July 8, while registrations for the five-year law course have already closed. The CET Cell will now prepare the merit list and allot seats based on the colleges participating in the admission process. There are around 75 law colleges affiliated to MU. According to university officials, several institutions continue to function without regular principals and approved faculty members, relying instead on contractual or temporary teachers. The university believes such deficiencies affect the quality of legal education and it has therefore taken strict action. However, the decision to withhold affiliation has drawn sharp criticism from several colleges and student organisations. College representatives argue that there is already a shortage of qualified candidates for the posts of principal and professor in law colleges. They also claim that the lengthy and complicated approval process makes appointments even more difficult. Some principals have demanded that the university grant temporary affiliation after obtaining written assurances from colleges that recruitment advertisements will be issued immediately. Manoj Tekade, chairperson of the Prahar Vidyarthi Sanghatana has also opposed the university's decision, claiming that more than 2,000 students seeking admission to law courses could suffer because of the reduced number of seats. The organisation alleged that the action unfairly targeted smaller institutions while similar issues existed in several other colleges. It has warned of protests if relief is not provided....