AICLET

A row has erupted over the choice of books for college libraries in non-government colleges in Odisha with charges of favoritism and procedural irregularities leading to a legal intervention. The Orissa High Court has ordered the secretary of the Higher Education department to examine the grievance of the Kalinga Publishers and Booksellers Association in line with law within a period of 30 days.

The single bench of Justice BP Routray also noted that the department can consider stopping the supply of the books that have been shortlisted until a final order is passed on the issue. The directive is likely to stop the current supply process temporarily, and everyone is now waiting for the next move of the Higher Education department.

The case has highlighted issues of transparency and equity in educational procurement processes. The Kalinga Publishers and Booksellers Association, Cuttack, had challenged the process of reading selections in a writ petition. The association, which represents booksellers and publishers in the state, accused the selected committee that was mandated to recommend books for college libraries of acting arbitrarily and without diligence in meeting norms.

The petition states that among the hundreds of books certified, close to 350 titles were from only five publishers in total, triggering serious doubts of bias as well as a lack of transparency. Referring to the June 9, 2025 grievance letter to the commissioner-cum-secretary of the Higher Education department, the association demanded quashing of the approved book list at the earliest. Association president Joy Krishna Mohapatra also sought a formal investigation into the issue and strict action against officials involved in the irregularities, as alleged.

The representation stated that most of the 350 books in the booklist only include a few publishers who are in connivance with government officials and have grouped together. The booklist given includes the name of the book and name of the author but no mention of the name of the publishers is made. The name of the publishers has specifically been omitted as most of the books are of these few persons, the representation stated.

Every year, tens of thousands of ambitious students across India set their sights on the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), the golden ticket to the country’s prestigious National Law Universities (NLUs). As CLAT 2025 is knocking on the door, it is time to crack the new syllabus, note the scheduled exam date, and whiteneck your study plan with sound and evidence-based study tricks.

Table of content

• What is CLAT?
• CLAT 2025 Exam Date
• CLAT Application Date
• CLAT 2025 Fees
• Syllabus and Exam Pattern
• Weightage & Marking Scheme
• CLAT 2025 eligibility criteria 
• How to crack CLAT 2025?
• CLAT FAQs

What is CLAT?

The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is the national-level entrance exam for securing a seat in top NLUs for undergraduate and postgraduate law programs. CLAT entrance exam is organized by the Consortium of National Law Universities. Majority of the affiliate universities and institutes also accept the CLAT exam for admissions and/or recruitment. For the 5-year integrated LL.B. and LL.M. programmes, this exam serves as a door. Thus, all the aspiring law students in India who wish to pursue law in the Academic Year 2025-2026 or  2026-2025 shall start preparing for CLAT 2025. 

CLAT 2025 Exam Date

The CLAT 2025 Exam will be conducted on 14th December 2025, between 2 PM and 4 PM. The offline test will be carried out at about 131 centres all over India.

CLAT Application Date

The applicants should start registering in the second week of July 2025. Candidates can apply exclusively through the official portal (consortiumofnlus.ac.in).

CLAT entrance exam fees

Application Fees: General category 4000 (Rs), SC/ST 3500 (Rs).

Syllabus & Exam Pattern

CLAT 2025 will test your understanding, ability to reason and aptitude and not your memory banks. The test is a 2-hour multiple-choice test in which questions amount to 120 and each question is marked with 1 mark. The incorrect answers are negatively marked 0.25 marks per answer.

Sections Covered:

• English Language: Comprehension skills, English grammar, vocabulary. The passages range 450 words, and they are taken both from modern and classical texts.
• Current Affairs & General Knowledge: Concentrate on what is happening, on national and international happenings, and major history facts.
• Legal Reasoning: The use of law to fact. Nothing to know beforehand, but it is a good idea to know.
• Logical Reasoning: Good thinking, analytical ability and logical puzzles.
• Quantitative Techniques: Simple math, algebras, and interpretation of data

Section-wise Weightage & Marking Scheme

Note that the marking is done like, +1 for correct, -0.25 for wrong, 0 for unattempted. There is negative marking in CLAT Entrance exam

CLAT 2025 PG Syllabus (Postgraduate)

The exam is of 120 minutes duration and consists of one section. It focuses on comprehension abilities using extracts from primary legal materials (court decisions, statutes, regulations). Each passage type question is to test your comprehension, analysis, and application of legal principles. The questions are based on the mandatory subjects of the undergraduate law program, namely:

• Constitutional Law
• Jurisprudence
• Administrative Law
• Law of Contract
• Torts
• Family Law
• Criminal Law
• Property Law
• Company Law
• Public International Law
• Tax Law
• Environmental Law
• Labour & Industrial Law

CLAT 2025 eligibility criteria 

CLAT 2025: Key Notes to Candidates

• No candidate will be permitted to enter the examination hall after 2.15 PM. You should stay in the test centre until the end of the examination; you cannot leave early.
• The NLSIU campus can be accessed only through Gate 1. Only registered candidates can enter the university premises. Entry of parents and guardians will not be allowed.
• No parking facility is available. Cars are not permitted within the campus, hence consider your commute to work.
•  Bring a print out of your Admit Card and a valid Photo ID proof too. Both of the documents will also be verified at the verification desk after which you will be permitted to proceed.
• Please queue up and abide within the drawings outside the gate so as to ease the process and orderly access to the campus.

How to Crack CLAT 2025?

1. Research the Trend & Develop Strategy

Begin by studying exam patterns and syllabus in detail.

Divide the study time depending on the weightage of sections and area of strengths.

2. Establish a Daily Learning habit

Weeks 1- 2: Concentrate on basics in every field.

Weeks 3-4: Implementation week, complete a practice question, take quizzes, and begin weekly mock test.

Week 5-6: Increase the number of mock tests (2-3 tests per week), evaluate and correct errors, and weak points.

3. Mock Tests Practice

Parents should help the child prepare by simulating real exam conditions increasing their stamina and decreasing anxiety.

Study every mock to find out repeated errors in order to be more accurate.

4. Be Aware of the Current Affairs

Read newspapers, address stable news sites and work out weekly overviews.

Retention should be done through group discussions and use of flashcards.

5. Advanced Public Law

Research terms and principles used in law.

Train on previous years papers and study monumental cases to understand.

6. Target sharper of Quantitative and Logical Skills

Do math problems and logic puzzles when taking at least 30 minutes a day.

Emphasis must be on conceptual knowledge and not the formula.

7. Exam Revise and Stay Exam Ready

In the final month, place one primary focus on revision.

Reserve all the logistical (admit card, ID, stationery) one day prior to exam.

Why Preparation is Important Now, More Than Ever?

The competition is tough with hundreds of thousands of applicants present and with a growing cut-off rate every year. The best bets are strategic preparation, frequent studies, and stress-free nerves during the exam day. It should also be noted that CLAT is not a mere examination of knowledge but is also a test of your thinking, analyzing and applying concepts under stress.

The chance to enter into India-elite in the field of law awaits You whether it is Your first time or you are a repeater, CLAT 2025 is a chance to appear before the legal élite of India. Begin early, be disciplined and be focused on your prize. The law awaits its newer generation of leaders, are you ready to respond to the call?

To know more, ace advice, and the latest about CLAT 2025, continue to check the official portal of CLAT Entrance Exam. Additionally, if you wish to boost your chances of securing a seat in top law university of India (private) then take AICLET (All India Common Law Entrance Test). 

FAQs

When to apply for CLAT 2025?

If you wish to take the CLAT 2025 Exam then you must apply for it before October 2025. The registration window shall  open in the month of July.

What is the date of CLAT 2025?

The date of CLAT 2025 exam is December 1, 2024, starting at 2:00 PM to 4.00 PM. The PWD applicants are granted an additional 40 minutes.

Who organizes CLAT 2025?

It is administered by the Consortium of National Law Universities which is based at NLSIU Bangalore.

What are the eligibility criteria of CLAT UG 2025?

NRI or any Indian national having passed 12 th class with not less than 40-45 percent marks (according to the category) is admissible. Foreign nationals are excluded.

What is the number of NLUs and seats offered by CLAT?

It has a total of 24 partner NLUs with 3243 UG and 1373 PG seats. The CLAT scores are also acceptable in some of the colleges providing private law courses.

How can one apply to CLAT 2025?

Applications will be done exclusively online through the legitimate Consortium site. Open registration is usually in July.

Which are the documents required in CLAT application?

You have to provide a new passport-sized photo, a signature, school certificates, and a valid photo identification.

What is the CLAT 2025 UG exam pattern?

The UG will have 120 MCQs, which are to be answered in 2 hours that include English, Current Affairs & GK, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Techniques. Every correct answer is 1 mark and 0.25 marks deficit is a wrong answer.

Are there any changes in the pattern of the CLAT question paper of 2025?

The recent pattern may be checked on the official Consortium site under the name of Question Paper format.

Can students who are still waiting for their board result apply?

Yes, of course, those candidates who will be taking their qualifying exam in March/April 2025 will qualify, but they must have evidence that they have passed it by the time they will be offered admission.

When  is CLAT counselling?

Counselling will happen in December 2025 or in January 2026

If law colleges aren’t safe, where are our daughters safe? Kolkata’s shocking law college rape case exposes a grim reality. The student went to the college for a normal academic commitment but ended up with the horrific memory that will haunt her for the rest of her life! 

“I touched his feet but he didn’t let me go. 2 accused watched as I was raped,” were the words of that girl. How traumatic it is to even think of saying this; she went through it! The fact that a brutal crime occurred inside a law college (a place supposed to create protectors of justice and influence law for good) shakes our ground of trust in this system. When even inside the gate of a law college, a young woman isn’t safe, how can we say that our society is safe to anybody?

This is the pressing question haunting Kolkata following a 24-year-old girl was allegedly gang raped in a room of a South Calcutta Law College on June 25, 2025. The act that happened at the time of the day between 7:30 pm and 10.50 pm is the triggering factor of the incident that both evoked fury and political firestorm, not to mention that the city is still recovering over a similar one in a medical college where a student was raped and killed.

South Calcutta Law College Rape Complaint and Surviors Statements 

The survivor had complained that she had attended the college so that she could submit her examination forms. What should have been a normal academic visit turned out to be a traumatic ordeal.The main accused, Manojit Mishra (31), a former student and current general secretary of the South Kolkata district of the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP), allegedly lured her to the union room under the pretext of discussing something important. After a talk that was nowhere related to an actual union discussion, the accused confessed his feelings to the girl about how since day one he has liked her, and proposed to her for marriage. When she declined his proposal, he together with two other students Zaib Ahmed (19) and Pramit Mukhopadhyay (20) are reported to have assaulted her.

According to the survivor, she was assaulted by a hockey stick, warned with a video record of an assault and left traumatized. Even the college security guard, who tried to intervene, was chased away by the accused. “The recorded videos of mine when the accused was raping me. They threatened to show the video  to everyone if I don't cooperate.”  she said in the statement. “I need justice,” she pleaded. 

Response of the Police

The three suspects were detained in 24 hours. They were arrested and their mobile phones confiscated and they were remanded to police custody. The survivor has undergone a preliminary medical examination, and witness statements have been recorded.

But the questions will not fade. How was it possible that in an institution that is supposed to educate and shelter the law, such a crime happened? Which systems are broken? And what sign does this give to thousands of young women who enter colleges daily under the impression that this is where they are going to be safe?

What is Political Blame Game and Accountability?

The case has promptly quickly escalated into a political flashpoint. BJP has leveled allegations against the ruling TMC of having created a culture of impunity on educational institutions wherein the main accused was very close to the ruling party and in fact was also employed at the college although he had a criminal record. The TMC, however, has condemned the incident and demanded instant justice, which points out on the necessity of stronger laws, such as the Aparajita Anti-Rape Bill, which will help prevent such incidents and conduct the trials in a much shorter time.

However, besides all the mudslinging on the political front, the central problem remains to be that because even the very law colleges cannot promise the assurance of safety, then what can other members of a society expect? 

Failure Pattern in Learning Institutions

This is not a single case. Only a few months back, there was the rape and murder of a junior doctor in R G Kar Medical College, Kolkata that fueled protests throughout the country. Reoccurrence of this type of crime in a learning environment, where one goes to be nurtured and empowered, shows that there is a rot at a deeper level. Are we really trying to keep our students safe in our schools or are lip services just offered when we do not want to address obvious lapses in security, accountability and support networks?

This can be contrasted with places such as NLSIU where it has an elaborate code of conduct, sexual harassment, and student security cells. Obviously, such measures are sorely needed in all colleges and particularly law colleges. 

Real Cost is Broken Trust

To all parents that take their girls to college, this is a cold enough wake-up call that even an esteemed campus and a guarantee to law and order are meaningless when in actual sense the environment is not safe. This means that not only students but also the parents must visit the campus, get internal information by asking from current students, meet the faculty and staff before joining the college, and only then decide whether to take admission there or not. The psychological damage to the survivor is impossible to measure and another dent is made on the faith that we all place in our educational and legal institutions.

Where Do We Go From Here?

• Colleges must prioritize student safety by implementing robust security protocols, grievance redressal systems, and awareness programs.
• Swift and transparent investigations must become the norm, not the exception.
• Political affiliations or influence should never shield the guilty from justice.
• Society must demand accountability, from institutions, from law enforcement, and from political leaders.

If law colleges can’t protect their own students, how can we expect them to protect the law of India? Until our educational institutions become truly safe spaces, the promise of justice will have only questions: If not here, then where? If not now, when? The fight for justice is still going, all we can do is try on individual levels to ensure a just environment. 

Five students from Maharashtra have achieved a 100 percentile at the Law (three-year) Common Entrance Test (CET) 2025 on Friday. They are Ganesh Choudhar, Somanath Suman Ramayan Sudhanshu, Shrihari Manjunath Prabhu, Swapnil Singh, and Tanmay Chindaliya.

The year saw the biggest ever mass registration in Law CET with 94,506 candidates registering and 74,621 candidates sitting for the test. The huge turnout is an indication of the growing trend of law's popularity among students wishing to pursue the career line in advocacy, corporate law, legal services, and judiciary preparation.

Sectarian gender composition was 49,406 men being involved and 25,213 women being involved. Two individuals were also registered as participants being transgender. The mixed induction is a reflection of the increased diversified population embracing legal studies in modern times.

The test was held at several test centers in the Maharashtra state, and the candidates were tested on topics such as Legal Aptitude, Current Affairs and General Knowledge, Logical Reasoning, and English. The test is an entrance test to admissions to Maharashtra state government and private law colleges through Maharashtra state university affiliation to three-year LLB courses.

State CET Cell authorities announced that the paper of this year was medium in terms of difficulty with a slight tilt towards reasoning and legal aptitude kind of questions. In spite of the difficulty, these five students were able to breach the top percentile score and held the highest level among law aspirants.

Education officials also argue that higher numbers of top scorers appearing for the test and more participation are reflective of improved preparation for the tests and increased competition. "Law as a profession has emerged as a choice among students from engineering and commerce streams also who wish to be of service to society," quotes a CET official.

CAP for Law CET is to be conducted soon and will be filled based on CET marks, preference, and available seats in college.

Legal professions being the focus area in India's evolving socio-political and business environments, such records not only make students pull out all stops but also necessitate investment in infrastructure towards quality legal education within the state

Release of the WBJEE 2025 results has been put off, leaving thousands of hopefuls in suspense and uncertainty about their professional life. The reason behind the delay lies in a pending court case related to OBC-A and OBC-B reservation regulations in West Bengal.

Over 1 lakh West Bengal and other state students write WBJEE annually, which is the state's chief entry test for undergraduate courses in engineering, pharmacy, technology, and architecture. But the uncertainty regarding declaration of result, which has been prevalent so far, has infuriated students and parents on a large scale.

The waiting is an aftermath of a Calcutta High Court direction for an interim stay on implementing the recent West Bengal government notifications related to OBC-A and OBC-B category reservations. The division bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Rajasekhar Mantha ruled that all executive orders made between May 8 and June 13, 2025, regarding these two categories, would be suspended till July 31, 2025.

Although the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board (WBJEEB) has not made it legally official that the reason for the delay lies in legal procedures, the connection is likely possible because WBJEE results are accompanied by category-wise ranking and affect admissions under reserved quotas directly.

On 15th May, WBJEEB Chairperson Sonali Chakraborty signaled the results declaration may be put back because of ongoing legalities, but no such official announcement has been issued as yet.

Greater Student Outrage on Social Media

As the other exam counselling procedure has also been standardized at the national level, candidates sitting for WBJEE 2025 are limited and anxious. Social media has seen an outburst of messages from students requesting assistance and seeking openness from the board.

One of the commentors wrote, "Approximately 1 lakh students are eagerly awaiting WBJEE results. All are perturbed as counselling has begun elsewhere. The delay is disturbing our academic calendar. Please take steps."

Another user wrote, "We humbly request authorities to act at the earliest to rectify the result delay and relieve deserving students."

A third said, "WBJEE results are yet to be declared. Board has not officially updated. Request the Hon'ble Chief Minister to take intervention."

Another one said, "WBJEE 2025 results are pending and JOSAA counselling is underway. Thousands of students of West Bengal are in suspended animation. As again and again requested, the board is tight-lipped."

The Punjab and Haryana high court has ordered the educational tribunal, Punjab, to hear and dispose of the current litigation between faculty members and Akal Degree College for Women, Sangrur, within two months.

The court declined to intervene in the matter and dismissed a plea made by the faculty asking for orders so that admissions to the BA course are made for the 2025-26 session and not hindered, directly or indirectly, by the college.

In 2020, the college had decided to scrap the course due to poor admissions. Since then, almost 10 teachers and the college administration have been in litigation at different forums. The 53-year-old aided college affiliated to Punjabi University, Patiala, had also experienced protests from farm unions and local bodies against the move. Its management was suspended in April 2022 for "misusing funds" by the state government.

Even though the court acknowledged that members of faculty might suffer inconvenience because of the discontinuation of the course, it noted that "such collateral detriment, howsoever genuine, does not ipso facto invest them with requisite locus standi to assail the administrative decision of College in question as also the society in question, by way of a writ petition, before this court.". Personal sentiments or inconvenience, however intense, cannot bestow a justiciable right to challenge such a decision made by the college," the court observed sending back the case to the tribunal.

The bench also made it clear that it had not decided the case on merits, particularly since one set of petitions is already listed for hearing before the tribunal. The case has been remitted to the tribunal for determination within the specified time