(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, and the rules made thereunder, a person shall be qualified to be admitted as an advocate on a State roll, if he fulfils the following conditions, namely:

(a) he is a citizen of India:
Provided that subject to the other provisions contained in this Act, a national of any other country may be admitted as an advocate on a State roll, if citizens of India, duty qualified, are permitted to practise law in that other country;

(b) he has completed the age of twenty-one years;

© he has obtained a degree in law:

(i) before the 12th day of March, 1967 from any University in the territory of India; or

(ii) before the 15th day of August 1947 from any University in any area which was comprised before that date within India as defined by the Government of India Act, 1935; or

(iii) after the 12th day of March, 1967, save as provided in sub-clause (iii-a), after undergoing a three year course of study in law from any University in India which is recognised for the purposes of this Act by the Bar Council of India; or

(a) after undergoing a course of study in law, the duration of which is not less than two academic years commencing from the academic year 1967-68 or any earlier academic year from any University in India which is recognised for the purposes of this Act by the Bar Council of India; or in any other case, from any University outside the territory of India, if the degree is recognised for the purposes of this act by the Bar Council of India; or

he is a barrister and is called to the Bar on or before the 31st day of December, 1976 or has passed the articled clerk's examination or any other examination specified by the High Court at Bombay or Calcutta for enrolment as an attorney of that High Court; or has obtained such other foreign qualifications in law as is recognised by the Bar Council of India for the purpose of admission as an advocate under this Act.

(e) he fulfils such other conditions as may be prescribed in the rules made by the State Bar Council under this Chapter;

(f) he has paid, in respect of the enrolment, stamp duty, if any, chargeable under the Indian Stamp Act 1899 (2 of 1899), and enrolment fee payable to the State Bar Council of six hundred rupees and to the Bar Council of India one hundred and fifty rupees by way of a bank draft drawn in favour that Council.

Provided that where such person is a member of the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes and produces a certificate to that effect from such authorities as may be prescribed, the enrolment fee payable by him to the State Bar Council shall be one hundred rupees and to the Bar Council of India, twenty-five rupees.

Explanation: For the purposes of this sub-section, a person shall be deemed to have obtained a degree in law from a University in India on the date on which the results of the examination for that degree are published by the University on its notice board or otherwise declaring him to have passed that examination.

(2) Notwithstanding any thing contained in sub-section (1), a vakil or a pleader who is a law graduate may be admitted as an advocate on a State roll if he:

(a) makes an application for such enrolment in accordance with the provisions of this Act, not later than two years from the appointed day; and

(b) fulfils the conditions specified in clauses (a), (b), (e) and (f) of subsection (1).

(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1) a person who:

(a) has for at least three years, been a vakil or a pleader or a mukhtar, or was entitled at any time to be enrolled under any law as an advocate of a High Court (including a High Court of a former Part B State) or of a Court of Judicial Commissioner in any Union territory; or

(b) before the last day of December, 1961, as entitled otherwise than as an advocate to practise the profession of law (whether by way of pleading or acting or both) by virtue of the provisions of any law, or who would have been so entitled had he not been in public service on the said date; or

© before the 1st day of April 1937, has been an advocate of any High Court in any area which was comprised within Burma as defined in the Government of India Act, 1935; or

(d) is entitled to be enrolled as an advocate under any rule made by the Bar Council of India in this behalf; may be admitted as an advocate on a State roll if he:

(i) makes an application for such enrolment in accordance with the provisions of this Act; and

(ii) fulfils the conditions specified in clauses (a), (b), (e) and (f) of sub-section (1).