‘You Are Not Special’: High Court To Delhi University In PIL Against CLAT Based 5-Yr LLB Admissions Instead Of CUET Score

The Delhi High Court on Thursday told the Delhi University that when other Central Universities are offering admissions on the basis of CUET score, then it is not 'special' to make admissions in the newly introduced five-year integrated law courses solely on the basis of CLAT result.

While hearing a public interest litigation challenging Delhi University’s notification issued on August 04, a division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula orally said,

“Under the National Education Policy, 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.”

The court granted time to the varsity’s counsel to file the counter affidavit in the matter and listed it for hearing on August 25. Time was also granted to Union of India to file its reply or seek appropriate instructions in the matter.

The bench however clarified that if no counter affidavit is filed by the next date of hearing, the matter will be heard finally on interim relief.

The counsel appearing for the Delhi University submitted that till the next date of hearing, the varsity will not release any advertisement inviting applications for admissions in 5 year law courses.

The petition has been moved by Prince Singh, a student of Delhi University, Faculty of Law. 

It is Singh’s case that the varsity, while issuing the impugned notification, has imposed an “unreasonable and arbitrary condition” that the admission to five-year integrated law courses shall be solely based upon merit in the CLAT- UG 2023 result, which is violative of the right to equality under Article 14 and right to education under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

“That the condition imposed for admission to the Five-year Integrated Law Courses at the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi is wholly unreasonable and arbitrary. It lacks any intelligible differentia and has no rational nexus with the object of admission to the Five-year Integrated Law Courses at the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi,” the plea reads.

The respondents in the PIL are Faculty of Law of Delhi University, Vice Chancellor of the varsity, University Grants Commission and Union of India through Ministry of Education.

Case Title: Prince Singh v. Faculty of Law, University of Delhi & Ors.