NLSIU Reserves 25% Seats For Students From Karnataka For 2021-22 Admissions

The National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, has introduced 25% horizontal compartmentalized reservation for Karnataka students in admissions for academic year 2021-22.

Candidates who have studied for not less than 10 years in a recognized educational institution in Karnataka will be eligible to be considered as "Karnataka Students".

The reservation is applicable to both B.A, LL.B(Hons) and LLM programmes which have the intake capacity of 120 and 50 respectively.

The University, in its revised admission notification, has asked candidates appearing in the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) to update their reservation option in their applications, if they wish to avail this reservation in NLSIU.

It is relevant to note that last year, the Karnataka High Court had quashed the 25% horizontal reservation given to Karnataka students in NLSIU. A division bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ravi V Hosmani struck down the National Law School Of India (Amendment) Act, 2020 passed by the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, which had introduced the 25% reservation for Karnataka students in NLSIU. In its judgment, the High Court observed the 'NLSIU is a unique institution of national character and not a mere state university".

The Court held that the NLSIU (Amendment) Act, 2020 was ultra-vires the objects and purport of the Act as well as the character of the Law School as an autonomous and independent entity having an All India or national character. The Court passed the judgment in petitions filed by the Bar Council of India and also parents of students seeking admission challenging the amendment.

The State of Karnataka has filed special leave petition in the Supreme Court against the High Court judgment, and the same is pending. Last year, the Delhi High Court had stayed the 50% reservation introduced by National Law University Delhi for students who passed qualifying exams from schools in NCT of Delhi.

The present reservation is said to be part of the "NLSIU Inclusion and Expansion Plan 2021-2024" adopted by the university "to increase diversity of its students and facilitate greater access to marginalized and/or underprivileged sections of the society in a phased manner:".

Click here to read/download the revised admission notification of NLSIU