HC questions Delhi University's decision of admission to 5-year law courses through CLAT, not CUET

Delhi HC questions DU's decision to admit students to 5-yr integrated law course solely on CLAT-UG 2023. HC says when other central universities are taking admissions on basis of CUET-UG 2023, DU is "not special".

The Delhi High Court on August 17 questioned the Delhi University’s (DU’s) decision to admit students to the five-year integrated law course solely on the basis of the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT-UG), 2023.

The High Court said when other central universities were taking admissions for the course on the basis of the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) UG 2023 introduced by the Ministry of Education (MoE), Delhi University was “not special”.

“Under the National Education Policy [NEP], once the decision is taken by the Government of India, Ministry of Education that admissions are to be done in central universities only on the basis of CUET, then you are not special. Very sorry,” a Bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula said.

The High Court was hearing a petition challenging the decision of DU to grant admissions to the five-year integrated law course solely on the basis of CLAT-UG, 2023.

The Bench granted time to the counsel for DU to seek further instructions in the matter and file its counter affidavit in response to the petition before the next date of hearing on August 25.

“It is made clear that in case no counter affidavit is filed before the next date of hearing, the matter will be heard on the question of grant of interim relief,” the Bench said.

It also granted time to the counsel for Centre to file its reply to the plea and seek instructions in the matter.