SC cancels NLAT, admission for NLSIU will now be held on the basis of CLAT only

  • | Monday | 21st September, 2020

The Supreme Court had on September 11 allowed NLSIU to hold NLAT as an interim measure but asked the university not to declare results or admit students till the court arrives at a final decision. The university had conducted NLAT pursuant to that order.

A long battle between law schools, law students and the governments over National Law School of India University, Bengaluru (NLSIU) to hold a separate entrance exam looks like to have reached its conclusion on Monday after the Supreme Court Judgement.

The Supreme Court on Monday quashed the decision of National Law School of India University, Bengaluru (NLSIU) to hold a separate entrance exam – National Law Aptitude Test (NLAT) for admission to its the 5 years integrated LLB programme and the postgraduate LLM programme in place of Common Law Admissions Test (CLAT).

A 3-judge bench headed by justice Ashok Bhushan set aside the September 3 notification issued by NLSIU which had announced NLAT in place of CLAT.

The bench which also comprised justices R Subhash Reddy and MR Shah ordered NLSIU to carry out admissions as per CLAT and ordered that admissions should be completed by the mid of October.

Admissions in 22 National Law Universities (NLUs) in different are based on the score of CLAT which is held every year consortium of NLUs. After repeated delays due to Covid-19 pandemic, this year CLAT is, as of now, scheduled to be held on September 28.

However, NLSIU decided that it would hold a separate entrance test this year, the NLAT, in view of the delay in conducting CLAT. A notification was also issued on September 3 announcing its decision to hold NLAT.

“Candidates will be selected on the basis of the aggregate marks secured in an online home-based Entrance Examination known as NLAT. The NLAT 2020 will test applicants for admission to the undergraduate B.A., LL.B. (Hons), and postgraduate LL.M programmes commencing in 2020,” the notification said.

Dr. Venkat Rao, who was a former Vice-Chancellor at NLSIU, approached the Supreme Court challenging NLAT stating that the decision taken by the Executive Council of NLSIU to conduct NLAT was illegal and without any legal authority.

Further, the notification mandating technical requirements to give the exam are onerous and cast an unreasonable burden on students, the plea said. A parent of one of the law school aspirants was also a petitioner along with Rao.

The Supreme Court had on September 11 allowed NLSIU to hold NLAT as an interim measure but asked the university not to declare results or admit students till the court arrives at a final decision. The university had conducted NLAT pursuant to that order.


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