A writ petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the provisional answer key and procedural conduct of the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) PG 2025, conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities on December 1.
The petitioners, Anam Khan and Ayush Agarwal, aspiring LLM candidates, allege several lapses in the examination process, including errors in the provisional answer key published on December 2. According to their plea, as many as 12 answers provided in the key were incorrect. Candidates were given just one day to file objections, with the online portal closing abruptly on December 3 at 4PM.
The petition raises concerns over the exorbitant fee charged for filing objections – INR 1,000 per question on top of the INR 4,000 examination fee. The petitioners argue that this places an unreasonable burden on candidates, especially given the Consortium’s responsibility to ensure the accuracy of the answer key.
Further, the plea highlights procedural inconsistencies at examination centers. Petitioners allege they received their Question Booklets (QB) and Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) response sheets after 2PM, despite the official schedule stating they should have been distributed by 1.50PM. Such delays, they contend, amount to unequal treatment and a violation of their fundamental rights under Articles 14 and 21A of the Constitution.
The timeline for the release of the answer key and subsequent events has also come under scrutiny. The final answer key is set to be published on December 9, with results to follow on December 10 and counselling registrations beginning on December 11. The petitioners argue that this tight schedule leaves insufficient time for legal recourse, should errors persist in the final key.
In light of these grievances, the petitioners have sought a stay on the publication of CLAT PG 2025 results and the commencement of counseling. The matter now awaits the Supreme Court’s direction as candidates across the country watch closely, hoping for a resolution that upholds the fairness and integrity of the prestigious CLAT examination.