CUET not must for DU 5-year LLB? Delhi HC asks UGC to file affidavit in 3 days

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court asked the University Grants Commission (UGC) to clarify if Common University Entrance Test (CUET) score is mandatory for five-year integrated LLB courses in central universities. The court has asked the commission to file an affidavit in the next three days after the UGC supported the Delhi University’s decision to grant admission to students on the basis of Common Law Admission Test (CLAT).

A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula noted that the UGC has made a contrary submission on the matter. On Tuesday, the statutory body said that the five-year law course will require different yardsticks to select students for the professional degree programme.

Seeking dismissal of the petition, the UGC said that Delhi University took the decision to admit students through CLAT after the approval of its academic and executive council.

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The bench had asked both Centre and UGC to file a detailed reply after a law student of DU, Prince Singh, in a plea sought admissions to the five-year integrated law course be done through the CUET-UG 2023 like other central universities.

As per the Live Law report, the high court noted: “A letter issued by UGC’s Joint Secretary in March stated that CUET shall be mandatory for admission in all the Undergraduate Programmes in all the Central Universities.”

The Bar Council of India (BCI) on July 26 granted its approval of 120 seats - 60 seats for BA LLB (Hons) and 60 seats for BBA LLB (Hons)- in the Delhi University.

“The court also directed the Delhi University to also file an additional affidavit stating categorically whether admissions to the five year law degree course shall be made on the basis of CLAT Examination this year only, or whether the same pattern will also be followed in subsequent years,” the Live Law reported.