New Delhi, September 10: The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the University of Mumbai’s decision to reduce by half the student intake capacity of its affiliated law colleges for the 2026-27 academic year, while setting aside the Rs 1 lakh costs imposed on the petitioner.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana dismissed a plea challenging the university’s decision and affirmed the Bombay High Court’s order rejecting the challenge.

The plea was filed by Lawyers’ Foundation, which had challenged Mumbai University’s decision to reduce the sanctioned intake by 50 per cent for both three-year and five-year LLB courses across around 45 affiliated law colleges.

The Bombay High Court had dismissed the petition in July, observing that it appeared to be a proxy litigation instituted on behalf of an affected law college. The court had also raised questions over how the petitioner had obtained certain information cited in the petition, including confidential details relating to a college.

Before the Supreme Court, the petitioner assured the bench that it would refrain from filing frivolous petitions in the future.

Taking a lenient view in light of the undertaking, the apex court modified the High Court’s order to the extent that it had imposed Rs 1 lakh in costs on the petitioner.

The Supreme Court, however, declined to interfere with the High Court’s decision to dismiss the challenge to Mumbai University’s seat-reduction policy.

Accordingly, the Special Leave Petition was dismissed, with the Rs 1 lakh costs imposed by the High Court set aside.