The Delhi High Court has given the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) two weeks to respond to a series of petitions challenging the results of the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2025. Recognizing the heightened stress among students, the court has decided to hear the case on priority.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela acknowledged the anxiety caused by the uncertainty surrounding CLAT 2025, especially with board exams underway. To ensure an efficient hearing process, the court stated that cases would be categorized into two groups—one for undergraduate admissions (CLAT UG) and the other for postgraduate admissions (CLAT PG).
Emphasizing the need to avoid redundant arguments, Justice Gedela noted that multiple petitions had been filed on similar grounds. To streamline proceedings, the court proposed appointing a nodal counsel for each category, who would present arguments collectively on behalf of petitioners. The NLU Consortium, which conducts the exam, has been directed to file a comprehensive response addressing all petitions.
This legal battle gained momentum following an earlier ruling by a single-judge bench of the Delhi High Court in December 2024. That ruling partially upheld a plea from a 17-year-old CLAT candidate who flagged errors in the UG paper. The court found two of the five disputed questions to be flawed and ordered revised results accordingly. However, the decision was subsequently challenged by both the NLU Consortium and the candidate, leading to an appeal before a division bench.
Complicating matters further, similar petitions emerged in multiple high courts, prompting the NLU Consortium to seek intervention from the Supreme Court. Concerned about potential conflicting judgments, the Supreme Court on February 6 consolidated all CLAT-related cases under the jurisdiction of the Delhi High Court to ensure uniformity in the final ruling.
The Delhi High Court has now set April 7 as the next hearing date, signaling a crucial step toward resolving the disputes surrounding CLAT 2025.
