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The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that the national level Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) will form the basis of admissions to law courses of the Guru Gobind Singh IP University (GGSIPU) for the academic year 2019-20.
A vacation bench of Justice Arun Mishra and Justice M.R. Shah said that the university should not use the Common Entrance Test (CET) for the admissions.
The university had moved the apex court challenging the Delhi High Court order which stayed the operation of its February circular announcing that the admission to law courses will take place through the CLAT.
"Let the admissions be made on the basis of CLAT," the apex court said.
The Self-Financing Educational Institutions Association had moved the court against the university's decision to use CLAT scores for admitting students in law courses. It submitted that the deadline for CLAT is already over and it is not favourable for the students who seek admission in law.
At this, the court said: "Your apprehension does not appear to be right. The students are much more smarter these days, and they would have applied for CLAT."
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the varsity, cited the Delhi High Court verdict which mandated the university to conduct the CET for admissions in law, and the channel to admit students through CLAT was not permitted.
The apex court said: "Nobody will suffer. CLAT means CLAT."
During the hearing, the court took an exception when a junior lawyer assisting a senior lawyer tried to butt in. "Ask your junior to behave in the court. What is this happening, we can initiate contempt... is this a vegetable market, a senior is arguing and the junior lawyer shouting from behind," the bench said. The senior lawyer subsequently apologized to the court.
On February 11, the Delhi government's Directorate of Higher Education had issued an order allowing the GGSIPU to conduct National Level Tests for admission to courses, including LLB and LLM, for 2019-20.
On February 26, the university issued a circular announcing that CLAT-UG and CLAT-PG will form basis to admit students in the law programmes for the academic session 2019-20.
