PIL Challenges Delhi University's Reliance on CLAT Scores for Law Admissions for five-year law courses

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Delhi High Court. This PIL challenges the choice to utilize the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2023 scores as the basis for admitting students into the recently established five-year integrated law programs at Delhi University (DU).

New Delhi: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been lodged with the Delhi High Court, contesting the decision of employing the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2023 scores for admissions to the newly introduced five-year integrated law courses at Delhi University (DU), legal authorities revealed on Monday.

The petitioner, Prince Singh, who is a DU Law student, seeks to present his case before Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjiv Narula. Singh's contention lies in the fact that the university's reliance on CLAT scores is not aligned with the University Grants Commission's (UGC) directive urging central universities to conform with the Common University Entrance Test (CUET).

Singh emphasized that if other programs within DU are transitioning to CUET for admissions, it would be unjust to singularly lean on CLAT scores for the five-year law courses. He argued that such an approach results in a restricted demographic gaining access to DU's esteemed law program. Prince Singh said, "We need an approach that ensures broader representation within the law courses at DU."

The crux of Singh's argument revolves around the inclusive nature of CUET. Unlike CLAT, which is conducted solely in English, CUET is accessible in multiple languages. Singh highlighted the significance of this feature, emphasizing that a language-neutral approach resonates more with the ideals of the National Education Policy and is inherently more student-friendly. He contended that students should have the freedom to choose their preferred language for both studies and examinations, be it English or Hindi.

It's noteworthy that the Bar Council of India (BCI) greenlit the introduction of five-year law courses, offering 60 seats each for BA-LLB (Hons) and BBA-LLB (Hons), following sustained demand for such a program. However, the current dispute stems from DU's preference for utilizing CLAT 2023 scores as the criteria for selection.