Admissions To Law Courses In Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University Will Be Through CLAT: SC

Admissions to law courses in Delhi government's Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU) for the 2019-20 academic session will be only through national level Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), the Supreme Court said Tuesday.

A vacation bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra and M R Shah said this while hearing a petition filed by the GGSIPU challenging the Delhi High Court order which had stayed the operation of an order and circular issued in February mandating the varsity to take admission in law courses through CLAT.

"Let the admissions (in law courses) be made on the basis of CLAT," the bench said.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for GGSIPU, said that as per the high court order, the varsity would have to conduct common entrance test for taking admissions in law courses as it cannot take admissions through CLAT.

The counsel appearing for self financing educational institutions association said students will have to suffer if admissions to law courses were made only through CLAT as the last date for applying for CLAT was already over.

"Nobody will suffer. CLAT means CLAT," the bench observed.

During the hearing, the bench took umbrage at one of the junior lawyers, assisting a senior advocate arguing in the matter, when he tried to interject.

"Ask you junior to behave properly in the court," the bench said, adding, "What is this happening? We will initiate contempt... Is this a 'Sabzi Mandi' (vegetable market)? A senior counsel is arguing and he (junior lawyer) is shouting from behind".

However, the senior lawyer apologised to the bench on behalf of his junior colleague.

When the counsel appearing for the association told the court that students will suffer since last date for applying for CLAT was over, the bench said, "Your apprehension does not seem to be correct. Today, students are more smart. They must have applied for CLAT. Do not under estimate students".

The Directorate of Higher Education of Delhi government had issued an order on February 11 permitting the GGSIPU to adopt National Level Tests for admission to several courses, including LLB and LLM, for 2019-20.

Subsequently, the university issued a circular on February 26 saying it was likely to admit students in the law programs for the academic session 2019-20, through CLAT-UG and CLAT-PG.Admissions to law courses in Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University will be through CLAT: SC