CLAT in Regional Languages? Delhi High Court Pushes NLU Consortium for Action
Date of Hearing: May 1, 2025
Case Title: Sudhanshu Pathak v. Consortium of NLUs & Ors.
Bench: Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya & Justice Tushar Rao Gedela
Next Hearing: August 20, 2025
Why This Matters for CLAT Aspirants:
The Delhi High Court has taken a strong stand on language inclusivity in the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). In a plea seeking to allow CLAT to be conducted in regional languages, the Court emphasized that no student should be excluded due to language barriers.
Currently, CLAT is conducted only in English, which poses a disadvantage to students from Hindi medium or regional language backgrounds.
Key Highlights from the Hearing:
- The Consortium of NLUs, which conducts the CLAT, has constituted an expert committee to explore the feasibility of regional languages in the exam.
- The Advisory Board of the Consortium has made recommendations, but the decision is still pending.
- The Court granted the Consortium eight weeks to make a “concrete decision” to ensure inclusivity and remove any language-based exclusion.
- The Bench made it clear that exams in local languages are ideal, but implementational challenges need to be addressed.
Important Observations by the Judges:
- “This court is not a forum for debate. Things are changing gradually… Even the IIT exam is now available in local languages.”
- “English is only a language. No one can deny that exams should ideally be in regional languages too.”
- “The Consortium must file a roadmap—how and when it plans to include regional languages in CLAT.”
Arguments by the Petitioner:
- Students more proficient in Hindi or regional languages struggle to understand English questions within the given time.
- Language discrimination in national exams like CLAT goes against constitutional ideals of equality in education and opportunity.
🇮🇳 Central Government & BCI Support:
- The Central Government supported the petitioner’s demand, stating, “Why should only English-medium students become lawyers and judges?”
- The Bar Council of India (BCI) also expressed support for regional language inclusion, recalling its backing in 2023 for the same cause.
What This Means for You:
- CLAT 2024 will be in English only, as confirmed earlier by the Consortium.
- However, CLAT 2026 and beyond could potentially include Hindi and other regional languages, depending on the outcome of the expert committee’s findings and the Court’s directives.
- This move could democratize access to premier legal education by allowing more students from diverse linguistic backgrounds to compete fairly.
Next Step:
- The Consortium must file its final decision by August 20, 2025.
- If implemented, this will be a landmark shift in legal education and accessibility for aspiring lawyers from non-English backgrounds.
Takeaway for CLAT Aspirants:
- Stay updated with Consortium announcements between May–August 2025.
- Even if you’re from a regional language background, keep preparing in English for now, but be hopeful and aware of possible changes in the medium of the paper.
- Know your rights—language should not be a barrier to accessing legal education.
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