In a recent development, the Delhi High Court has granted permission to the University of Delhi (DU) to utilize the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2022 scores for the admission of students into its newly introduced five-year LLB course for the current academic year. This decision was made by a division bench consisting of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula. The bench recognized that classes for other courses at DU had already commenced, and the matter required a more comprehensive hearing and consideration.
The court's decision stemmed from a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by a law student named Prince Singh. Singh had urged that, instead of CLAT scores, admission to the course should consider Common University Entrance Test (CUET) marks.
Representing DU, Senior Advocate Pinky Anand argued that the CUET prospectus did not include the five-year course at the time when the Bar Council of India (BCI) granted approval for DU to offer the five-year LLB degree.
Additionally, the Central government and the University Grants Commission (UGC) informed the court that, in accordance with the National Education Policy and the 566th UGC meeting, CUET was deemed mandatory for admission to general degree courses.
The Additional Solicitor General, Chetan Sharma, representing the Central government, emphasized that Central universities possess the autonomy to rely on exams such as CLAT, NEET, and others for admissions into professional courses like law, medicine, and management.
The crux of the matter before the court revolved around whether Central universities could admit students solely based on CUET scores or if they had the flexibility to consider other examinations as well.
In response to this complex situation, the court appointed Senior Advocate Arun Bhardwaj as Amicus Curiae and instructed the court's registry to provide him with all the relevant case files. The court has scheduled further consideration of the matter for November 23.
It's worth noting that the court had previously expressed concern over the conflicting stances of the Central government and the UGC on this issue. While the Central government contended that CUET was not obligatory, the UGC argued to the contrary. In a prior hearing, the court had called on the UGC Chairman to clarify their position. In response, the UGC Chairman stated that CUET was not mandatory for all courses, and universities could consider scores from exams like CLAT and NEET for admissions into professional programs.
TAGS: Delhi High Court University of Delhi CLAT 2022 five-year LLB course PIL Common University Entrance Test (CUET) Senior Advocate Pinky Anand Central government University Grants Commission (UGC) National Education Policy Amicus Curiae November 23 conflicting stances UGC Chairman professional courses.
