"You are not special:" Delhi High Court to Delhi University for considering CLAT scores instead of CUET for 5-year law courses

Delhi University (DU) has assured the Delhi High Court that it will not invite applications to its newly introduced five-year integrated law courses pending the challenge to its decision to consider Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2023 scores for admission to such courses..Advocate Mohinder S Rupal appeared for DU and made the assurance after the Bench criticized the University's decision to rely on CLAT instead of Common University Entrance Test (CUET) scores for admission into the five-year law courses. A Division Bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula remarked,"You are not special... There is a national policy. If 18 other central universities are relying on the CUET scores for admissions, why is DU not doing the same?".Rupal told the Court that a special committee constituted to consider the issue said that CLAT scores are to be adopted. He further stated that the report was presented before the Academic Council and Executive Council of DU as well. He asked the Court to give him a week's time to file the University's reply in the matter. .The Bench then proceeded to list the case for further consideration on August 25 and said that if the response is not filed by the next date, the matter shall be heard on the issue of grant of interim relief. The Court further granted the Central government counsel to seek instructions and file a response in the matter. .The Court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging DU's decision to consider CLAT 2023 scores for admission to the five-year integrated law courses.Prince Singh, a student at DU's Faculty of Law, has demanded that the University should implement the CUET scores for admission.It has been argued that the University Grants Commission (UGC) has said that all central universities shall complete their undergraduate admission processes in accordance with CUET. While admission for all other courses is being done through CUET, for the five-year law courses at DU, CLAT scores are being considered.Owing to this, only a separate class/category/segment of students can secure admission to the five-year courses at Faculty of Law, University of Delhi, the plea stated.It is also pointed out that while the CUET is conducted in multiple languages, CLAT is conducted only in English..Plea in Delhi High Court challenges use of CLAT 2023 scores for admission to five-year law courses at Delhi University