Law

CLAT 2026 is scheduled on December 7th and is a gateway to 25 NLUs in the country. It is considered one of the most competitive entrance examinations in the country, seeing around 60,000-75,000 applicants for merely 5,790 seats every year. With the annual tuition fee for the undergraduate law programmes at NLUs ranging from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 4 lakh every year, a growing number of students are looking for other imperative law entrance examinations in India, which can help increase their chances of getting admission into a credible academic institution.

CLAT PG scores are also accepted by a number of government organisations, such as Coal India and Oil India, apart from recruitment into the JAG branch of the Indian Army. Further, IIULER, Goa, established by the Bar Council of India Trust, has started giving admissions based on scores obtained in CLAT.

A major alternative test to CLAT which will be held in near future is AICLET, which is popularly known as the All India Common Law Entrance Test. Being an all-India level test, it aims at mainly analyzing the legal aptitude, analytical ability, and logical reasoning of an applicant. The test is gaining fast momentum among students seeking admission in the private and semi-government law colleges offering BA LLB, BBA LLB, and LLB courses. According to education experts, AICLET is increasing the access to legal education among students who barely miss the admission in NLUs.

Another important entrance test is AILET, conducted by National Law University, Delhi. It is to be noted that CLAT score is not considered for admission by NLU, Delhi. So, AILET is a very crucial alternative option for the students aiming for this prestigious institution. It is scheduled to be held on December 14 from 2 pm - 4 pm through online mode. It will offer BA LLB (Hons), LLM, and PhD, with only 110 seats for the undergraduate course.

The NLAT conducted by NMIMS also remains a popular choice. The NMIMS, with campuses in Mumbai, Indore, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chandigarh, conducts its examination in March for which applications start in December. NMIMS continues to be a favorite among top law aspirants with its modern teaching methods, global exposure, and strong training in corporate law.

Similarly, SLAT is conducted for admission to the BA LLB and BBA LLB courses offered at the Symbiosis campuses in Pune, Noida, Hyderabad, and Nagpur. The test will be conducted on December 20 and December 28 while applications can be submitted till November 30. The Symbiosis Law Schools have earned their due reputation for their infrastructure, academic flexibility, and placement record. The MH CET Law, conducted by Maharashtra State CET Cell, is a gateway to prestigious government institutions like Government Law College (GLC), Mumbai, and ILS Law College, Pune. 

The application process starts in December, with the exam scheduled for April. It is considered the best option among students for pursuing legal education inexpensively with bright career prospects. Besides this, CUET admits students for the law courses offered at Delhi University and Banaras Hindu University. CUET is held online in CBT mode in May, whose application process starts in March. It extends a single-window opportunity to the candidates for applying to multiple central universities. These six law entrance examinations, other than CLAT, offer a number of promising pathways for aspirants to build a successful legal career in India.

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered that all issues related to the West Bengal school teacher recruitment scandal be heard by the Calcutta High Court, while making it clear that candidates who had been found 'tainted' earlier should not be permitted into the fresh selection process.

A Bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Alok Aradhe observed that the top court had been monitoring the compliance with its earlier judgment, but since the High Court was already examining the recruitment process in great detail, it was fitting that the state court play the role of the first-instance court.

"The High Court shall ensure that none of the tainted candidates are allowed to slip through in the fresh selections, be it on any pretext. The High Court shall also ensure that the list of tainted candidates is placed in the public domain with full details," the Supreme Court said.

The West Bengal School Service Commission, earlier this week, came out with a fresh comprehensive list of 1,806 'tainted' teachers who had been recruited earlier through the State Level Selection Test conducted in 2016.

Many petitioners had sought to withdraw their appeals from the Supreme Court to approach the High Court directly. The bench allowed these withdrawals and dismissed the petitions with liberty to move the state court.

For remaining petitions, the delays were condoned and all issues were ultimately referred to the Calcutta High Court.

The Supreme Court also reminded the High Court that candidates previously found untainted in the 2016 recruitment exercise must be allowed to appear in the fresh exams, and their prospects cannot be affected by the new rules framed for teacher appointments in 2025.

"The unblemished candidates of the past selection were permitted to sit for the selection tests to be held afresh and their candidature cannot be adversely affected by application of the new rules," it said. The bench left the interpretative questions arising out of its earlier judgments to the High Court while disposing of all pending petitions and applications at the Supreme Court level. With this, the Calcutta High Court now has full authority to conduct a comprehensive review of the recruitment process while ensuring transparency and fairness.

After violent unrest shook VIT University in Sehore district, the Madhya Pradesh Higher Education Department has finally issued a show-cause notice to its management. The university management has been given seven days to explain serious violations. Unsatisfactory replies would see the department initiating disciplinary action under Section 41(2).

The notice is based on a damning report submitted by the three-member inquiry committee of the MP Private University Regulatory Commission. NDTV has accessed the report that reveals disturbing conditions, administrative failure, and shocking mismanagement at one of the state's biggest private universities.

The panel found the university hostel mess in "extremely unsatisfactory" condition. The students complained about poor quality of food and beverages, contaminated water with a foul smell in the drinking water. The management admitted that there had been an outbreak of jaundice from November 14 to 24, in which 23 male and 12 female students were afflicted, indicating prima facie water contamination.

The report maps the university as running like a fortress of fear. Students told the committee that they were threatened with harassment for complaining, warned that their identity cards would be confiscated, threatened with being barred from exams, told they would get poor marks in practicals-and, in one shocking incident, even the District Chief Medical and Health Officer was made to wait for two hours at the campus gate.

It said the committee found that student dissatisfaction mounted steadily, while the management ignored warnings. As the situation worsened, the administration called the police at 2 am.

The Under Secretary, Viran Singh Bhalavi, in the notice, warned that the government would take unilateral action if the university fails to provide a proper explanation.

The crisis began with the reported assault of a student by the hostel staff after complaints of contaminated water and food, which was followed by unprecedented chaos.

On November 25, approximately 4,000 students rallied and protested.

In a matter of minutes, there were burning buses and vehicles, a vandalised ambulance, shattered windscreens, and fire all over the parking lot.

It took police forces from five stations to bring the situation under control. The university has since been shut until December 8 and most students have returned home.

Earlier, the PHE Department collected 18 water samples. Four tested positive for harmful bacteria, including E coli. PHE official Pradeep Saxena confirmed contamination in water taken from tube wells, ground-level tanks and RO systems.

The Food and Drug Administration collected 25 food samples from the hostel mess - pulses, rice, oil, flour, semolina, and more.

Among the most shocking of the revelations was that 11 campus blocks were functioning without fire NOCs, therefore exposing thousands of students to grave risk. The management's omissions directly led to this crisis. The investigation team, comprising Hamidia College Principal Dr Anil Shivani, MVM College Professor Sanjay Dixit, and GMC Professor Dr Lokendra Dave, concluded that this entire chain of events had been the result of deep-rooted administrative failure.

The Supreme Court has ordered a comprehensive review of private universities and asked top officials of the Centre, states, and the UGC to furnish detailed information on establishment and regulation of such varsities. This is in an attempt to bring about clarity on the operation of private universities and transparency in their governance.

The order was passed by a bench comprising Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and NV Anjaria while it was hearing a writ petition on Amity University, which latterly developed into a PIL. The court wants to know how private universities are established, what benefits are extended to them and to what extent they observe regulatory compliance.

Particulars Required from Government Officials

The apex court has ordered the Cabinet Secretary, Chief Secretaries of all states, and the Chairman of UGC to file an affidavit regarding the governance structures of private universities. The court made it clear that these secretaries are required to compile the information personally and present them before the court without assigning the responsibility to their subordinates.

Some of the salient information sought include the persons running these institutions, the membership of decision-making bodies like boards of governors or managing committees. The affidavits should also explain the manner of selection for such positions and full details with respect to all persons associated with the establishment and administration of private universities.

UGC's Monitoring Role Under Scrutiny

The court asked the UGC to explain its monitoring role regarding private universities. The court has asked that in what way it exercises the requirement of compliance with the statutory requirements, particularly after declaring 54 state private universities in September 2025 for non-compliance with documentation obligations under Section 13 of the UGC Act, 1956. This section empowers the UGC to inspect universities to assess their financial viability and educational standards.

The Supreme Court also expressed apprehensions on the admission policies and recruitment mechanisms followed by private universities. It wants to know whether such institutions run on 'no profit, no loss' principles and what measures the government has to ensure there is no financial malpractice, such as diversion of funds for motives other than education.

 The scrutiny by UGC and the intervention of the Supreme Court come amid increased scrutiny of private universities across the country. The review seeks to address long-standing issues related to admissions, financial practices, and the general governance of such institutions. As the court examines these concerns, it aims at upholding educational standards, with protection of interests of students and other stakeholders in mind.

The Karnataka government has circulated a draft, called the Karnataka Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Employment and Education Bill-2025, that promises significant reform in workplace and academic inclusion for persons with disabilities. Among the salient features, particularly noted is the mandatory 5 percent reservation in private establishments that employ 20 or more people, apart from a 10 percent reservation across all courses in educational institutions.

The draft bill, published in the official gazette on November 21, intends to bring the state's framework in line with international standards, including the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

5% Job Quota, Reasonable Accommodation and Penalties

The draft stipulates that private companies should set aside 5 per cent of the sanctioned posts in respect of direct recruitment and regularized posts for persons with disabilities. Employers are to allocate posts across the categories of disability based on a formula to be determined by the State Regulatory Authority, with annual reports on compliance becoming mandatory. Any unutilized posts can be carried forward for three recruitment cycles only, while exemptions will apply only where the essential duties of a job cannot be performed even after reasonable accommodation.

The Bill threatens severe penalty for violation, including fines ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 5 lakh, and publicizing of defaulters. Fraudulent disability claims may attract a fine of Rs 1 lakh and imprisonment up to two years. The Bill also incentivizes compliance through procurement incentives and certification.

It forbids discrimination in hiring, promotions, training, or workplace conditions, and it calls on employers to provide aids, flexible work arrangements, and modifications in infrastructure. The bill reads:

If an employer denies accommodation for undue hardship, reasons are to be given in writing and may be reviewed by the proposed State Regulatory Authority. Information concerning a disability is not to be disclosed except with informed consent unless this is necessary for safety reasons or for compliance with law. Employees who become disabled during employment cannot be demoted or dismissed and should be transferred or placed on supernumerary posts.

10% Reservation in Education and Accessibility Targets

Accordingly, the institutions would have to fill 10 percent of seats in each course with students with disabilities and provide accessibility at the time of admission, classes, and examinations. The provisions would include time extensions, scribes, and alternate question papers besides digital and physical access. Institutes will have to draw up Accessibility and Inclusion Plans within six months and achieve full accessibility in five years. Student benefits include five-year age relaxation and 5% cut-off relaxation; educational loans are likely to be made available at concessional rates and with simplified paperwork. There shall be a State Regulatory Authority and State Enforcement Authority to ensure compliance and monitor, through audits, complaints and their adjudication, and compensation. Every institution and organization shall designate trained grievance officers and different accessible complaint channels. The government has invited public objections and suggestions within 30 days, addressed to the Principal Secretary, Labour Department, Vikasa Soudha, Bengaluru.

In a path-breaking order to reinforce fundamental education, the Supreme Court of India has directed the Kerala government to open lower primary and upper primary schools in every locality where there is no government school at present-a strong reminder of the lingering gaps in access in a state hailed for its achievements in literacy.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant ordered the state to frame a comprehensive policy in three months to ensure primary education reaches all. The court’s observations came during a hearing in which the CJI pointed to the contradiction between Kerala being hailed for 100% literacy and the reality of areas without basic schooling facilities.

Schools Within Reach: 1 km for Lower Primary, 3 km for Upper Primary

As per the said order, the state is to ensure that:

A lower primary school within 1 km radius of every habitation

An upper primary school within 3 km

The government has been directed to identify suitable private buildings in areas where there are no school buildings, to run temporary classrooms. At the same time, Kerala will have to earmark funds to build permanent school buildings, said the court.

Retired Teachers to Step In Temporarily

It asked the state government to appoint retirees as teachers in the institutions till regular teachers are recruited to avoid the delay in beginning the academic sessions.

Local panchayats have been instructed to survey and submit the details of available land for new school infrastructure.

Comes Days After Kerala Declared Itself ‘Extreme Poverty-Free’

The intervention by the Supreme Court comes close on the heels of an announcement by the Kerala government headed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on November 1 — the state’s formation day — that Kerala had become the first state in India to eradicate extreme poverty.

The observations from the court have brought into focus the disconnect between Kerala's vaunted social indicators and realities on the ground in terms of access to education.

Education Equity: Ensuring

It is a directive that is expected to have far-reaching implications for children in remote and tribal regions, areas where long travel distances and lack of facilities have for years hindered school enrolments. From being traditionally regarded as a role model in education and human resource development, Kerala will henceforth have to accelerate the process of ensuring that each child has a school within walking distance, matching its literacy legacy with universal access.