CLAT ’25 admission list delayed after HC order

NEW DELHI: The Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) has delayed the release of first admission list for Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2025, originally scheduled for Dec 26, 2024. The decision follows Delhi HC’s directive to revise the merit list after discrepancies were identified in the final answer key for the undergraduate examination.
Candidates were informed of the delay via SMS, with the Consortium assuring them of its commitment to transparency and fairness. Legal experts are reportedly being consulted to address the implications of the revised marking scheme and its impact on rankings.
This marks another instance of national-level entrance exams coming under scrutiny. Earlier this year, NEET-UG, CUET-UG and UGC-NET results were delayed amid controversies, involving technical glitches, improper evaluations, and errors in question papers.
The CLAT 2025 controversy began with a writ petition that flagged errors in two questions from Set A of the exam paper. Delhi HC upheld the petitioner’s claims for one question, directing that marks be awarded to all candidates who selected the correct option as determined by the court. For another question, found to contain blatant errors, the court ruled it invalid and ordered its exclusion from evaluation. Justice Jyoti Singh, while delivering the judgment, emphasised the importance of academic integrity, stating that judicial intervention was necessary to address such lapses and protect the fairness of the admission process.
The petitioner also contested other questions, highlighting inconsistencies in evaluation and transparency. Although the Consortium had addressed objections to three questions during its initial review, unresolved concerns prompted the petitioner to demand a Grievance Redressal Committee. A formal representation was submitted on Dec 9, 2024, calling for a comprehensive reassessment of marks and rankings.
In its message to candidates, the Consortium stated, “We acknowledge that this development may create some uncertainty, and we assure you that the Consortium is committed to ensuring transparency and fairness in the process. Consequently, the release of the first admission list for NLUs, originally scheduled for Dec 26, is likely to be delayed.”