UGC Takes U-Turn; Backs DU's Decision To Offer Admission In 5-Yrs Integrated Law Courses Solely Based On CLAT 2023 Result

Taking a U-turn from its earlier stance, the University Grants Commission today supported Delhi University's decision to offer admissions in its newly introduced five-year integrated law courses solely on the basis of CLAT-UG 2023 score, instead of Common University Entrance Test (CUET).

Opposing a PIL filed before the Delhi High Court against the varsity's decision, the UGC said that “different yardsticks” in terms of assessment or evaluation may be required to select students for admission in the Five-Year Integrated law programme which is a “professional degree programme.”

Whereas earlier, the statutory body had said that it is mandatory for all the Central Universities to adhere to the CUET score for admission to UG or PG programmes.

“University of Delhi with the approval of its Academic Council and Executive Council has resolved to admit students in its Five-Year Integrated Law courses through CLAT, a centralized national-level entrance test,” the UGC said today.

The Union Ministry of Education has also stated that Delhi University is a statutory body “having an autonomous status” in the management of its day-to-day affairs and that admission to various professional courses is governed by varsity’s own law. It submitted that while there are overarching policy guidelines, Universities retain the flexibility through their Academic Councils and Executive Councils to tailor the said guidelines to suit the unique demands of professional courses.

“Hence the University of Delhi is suitably placed to bring on record of this Hon'ble Court the rationale behind taking admissions in the Five- year Integrated Law Course which is a professional course on the basis of CLAT (UG) 2023 and not on the basis of CUET (UG) 2023 for academic year 2023-24. It is therefore submitted that the relief as sought by the petitioner to quash the admission notice of University of Delhi may not be granted,” the response states.

Earlier, the Union Government had submitted that CUET is not mandatory for Central Universities and that they enjoy autonomy in the matter of admission.

The development comes in a petition filed 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.