NLUs Argue CLAT 2024 Cannot be in Regional Languages

The Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) has informed the Delhi High Court that conducting the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2024 in Hindi and other regional languages is not feasible. The Consortium explained that the syllabus and test pattern for the upcoming exam in December 2023 have already been announced, and students have been preparing accordingly. According to the affidavit filed by the Consortium, administrative preparations such as setting the paper/key and arranging technical support for software began in February 2023 and are now in the final stages. Therefore, introducing additional language options for the 2023 CLAT is highly unlikely.

The National Law Universities argued against comparing the CLAT examination with other qualifying and entrance exams like UPSC, IIT-JEE, and NEET. They emphasized that these exams are conducted on a much larger scale than CLAT and are not held in all the regional languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. The NLUs further highlighted that English is the medium of instruction in their institutions and that the Bar Council of India (BCI) Rules of Legal Education, 2008 mandate English as the medium of instruction for both five-year and three-year law courses.

A law student named Sudhanshu Pathak had previously filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) demanding that CLAT 2024 be conducted in Hindi and other regional languages. In response, the NLU established a committee to assess the possibility of conducting the CLAT exam in Indian vernacular languages. The committee convened its first meeting on June 25, and the second meeting is scheduled for the second week of July.