In a significant step towards inclusivity, the Supreme Court has directed that visually impaired candidates appearing for future editions of the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) must be provided with assistive facilities such as screen readers, customised devices, and the option of a scribe. CLAT 2026 is scheduled for December 7, 2025, with the application window open until October 31, 2025.
A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi ruled that the interim directions earlier issued in December 2024 for the All India Bar Examination (AIBE) will equally apply to CLAT. The Court highlighted that these measures are aimed at ensuring meaningful participation of visually impaired candidates in national-level professional examinations.
The Supreme Court order noted: “Meanwhile, the interim directions issued by this Court on 05.12.2024 and 11.12.2024 shall apply mutatis mutandis in the CLAT Examination in future to be conducted by the respondents.” Additional Solicitor General Archana Pathak Dave informed the Bench that fresh guidelines were issued on August 1, in compliance with earlier directions. The Court has instructed both the Bar Council of India (BCI) and the CLAT Consortium to strictly adhere to these guidelines.
Notably, the earlier directions for AIBE included provisions such as the use of JAWS and NVDA screen readers, permission to bring personal keyboards and customised mouse devices, and software installation a day prior to the exam. Candidates could either type answers on a computer or opt for a scribe, with costs borne by BCI. The Court had also clarified that scribes must not belong to humanities or law backgrounds and should hold qualifications one level lower than that of the candidate, aligning with the Government of India’s 2018 guidelines.
The petition, filed by visually impaired law students seeking equal access to both AIBE and CLAT, will next be heard on November 13, 2025.