Supreme Court Rejects NLSIU’s ‘Separate Entrance Test’ Plea; Says CLAT Only Admission Gate

Bengaluru: The Supreme Court on Monday repealed the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) Bengaluru’s notification for a separate entrance exam. The NLSIU had conducted the National Law Aptitude Test (NLAT) 2020 on September 12 for admission to its five-year integrated BA LLB (Hons) program.

The Supreme court while cancelling the NLAT-2020 entrance exam also directed admissions in all 22 National Law Universities (NLUs) to be conducted in accordance with CLAT-2020. CLAT or Common Law Entrance Test is scheduled to be held on September 28.

The bench, comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan, RS Reddy, and MR Shah, said that all NLUs should start their academic sessions by mid-October.

On September 17, the top court reserved its order on the plea seeking quashing of the NLAT-2020 notification, read with the September 4 press release on NLSIU admissions 2020-21. NLSIU Bengaluru defended its decision in the apex court to hold a separate entrance examination instead of CLAT, reported The Indian Express.

On September 11, the top court gave NLSIU Bengaluru its go-ahead to hold a separate exam on September 12 but restrained it from announcing the results and admitting any student till the pendency of the plea.

The bench had issued notice to the university and its vice-chancellor, Professor Sudhir Krishnaswamy, and sought their responses on the plea.

The plea termed holding of a separate examination as “manifestly arbitrary and illegal” was filed by former NLSIU vice-chancellor Professor R Venkata Rao and the parent of an aspirant.

NLSIU’s action had created unprecedented uncertainty and has imposed an onerous burden and obligations upon thousands of aspirants, who are now uncertain about the future course of action, the plea claimed.

The impugned notification provides that NLSIU shall not accept the scores of CLAT 2020 for admission to the academic year 2020-21 and an examination called NLAT be conducted online.

The sudden and capricious decision of the NLSIU has not only thrown the aspirants of CLAT 2020 into a frenzy and in a state of fear and confusion, but it has also severely jeopardised the position of the university in the Consortium. Due to the whimsical conduct of the University, the children are put to extreme pressure and mental stress, the plea further said.