PIL in Delhi HC challenging DU notification for admission in Law Courses solely on basis of CLAT-UG-2023 results

New Delhi [India], August 14 (ANI): A petition has been moved in Delhi High Court challenging notification issued by Delhi University (DU) for admission in Law courses solely on the basis of the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT UG 2023) result.

The PIL has been moved seeking to quash the notification dated 04.08.2023 issued by Faculty of Law, University of Delhi for admission to Five-year Integrated Law Courses for the Academic Year 2023-24 solely on the basis of Common Law Admission Test (CLAT UG 2023) result.

Plea seeking direction to implement the scheme of the Common University Entrance Test (CUET)UG 2023 introduced by the Ministry of Education (MoE) for admission into all UG programmes in Central Universities for Academic session 2023-24 under Ministry of Education.

The matter was on Monday heard by the bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chander Sharma, but later adjourned for August 17, 2023, after Counsel for Delhi University sought time to file a reply in the matter.

The plea has been moved by Prince Singh, a student of law at University of Delhi stated that the petitioner is, like many other students especially those who are aspiring to be a law student, aggrieved by the haste and capricious decision of the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi that admission to Five-Year Integrated Law Courses shall be solely based upon merit in the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) UG 2023 result.

It further stated that on 04.08.2023 the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi released a notification having a long-awaited welcoming decision to offer admissions in Five-year Integrated Law Courses which was the dream of many students across the country.

However, the faculty then imposed an unreasonable and arbitrary condition for the admission to the same Courses shall be solely based upon merit in the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) UG 2023 result which is violative of the fundamental Right to equality under Article 14 and Right to education recognised under Article 21 of the Constitution of India, stated the petitioner.

The CLAT exam is being conducted in English medium since its inception.

As per the plea, however, the CUET (UG) exam is being conducted in 13 languages i.e., English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. It is worth noting here that the CUET is more inclusive more diverse and in tune with the mandate of the National Educational Policy.

It is not out of place to mention here that the Delhi University uses two languages i.e., English and Hindi in its teachings and semester exams, stated the plea.