Delhi High Court Verdict on CLAT UG 2025: A Turning Point in Law Entrance Regulation?

In a significant development concerning the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) Undergraduate 2025, the Delhi High Court has directed the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) to revise the marksheets and republish the final merit list within four weeks. The judgment, pronounced on 23rd April 2025, by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, settles a long-standing dispute regarding the accuracy of answers in the CLAT UG 2025 examination. 

The court’s verdict is not just about the fate of a few questions — it may fundamentally reshape how law entrance exams are conducted in India, ensuring greater transparency, accountability, and fairness. 

Background of the Case 

• The CLAT UG 2025 was conducted on 1St December 2024 with four sets of question papers: A, B, C, and D.  
• The Provisional Answer Key was released on 2nd December 2024, and objections were invited till 3rd December 2024, 4 PM. After reviewing objections, a Final Answer Key was released on 7th December 2024. 
• Following this, numerous students filed petitions challenging the correctness of several answers, alleging discrepancies in evaluation. Writ Petitions and LPAs (Letters Patent Appeals) such as W.P.(C) 4157/2025, 4375/2025, and LPA 1250/2024 were consolidated and transferred to the Delhi High Court by the Supreme Court on 6th February 2025. 

Key Legal Issues Considered 

The court addressed multiple challenges raised by aspirants including: 

Erroneous or Misleading Questions: 

Several questions were flagged for being factually incorrect, ambiguous, or out of syllabus — particularly in the Legal Reasoning and Current Affairs sections. These included: 

• Question No. 5: Misinterpreted English comprehension. 
• Question No. 77: Deemed "out of syllabus" for requiring prior knowledge of contract law involving minors. 
• Question No. 115 & 116: Marking discrepancies due to mismatched numbering across question paper sets. 
• Question No. 88 & 114: Accepted by court as having inadequate data and were revaluated. 

Violation of CLAT Syllabus Guidelines: 

The Legal Reasoning section of CLAT explicitly states that no prior legal knowledge is required. However, the court found several questions — such as No. 79 and 80 — demanded specific legal understanding (e.g., how a bill becomes law, doctrine of consideration). 

Court’s Legal Reasoning 

Courts' Role in Academic Evaluations: 

• Courts should be cautious in interfering with expert decisions on answer keys. 
• However, courts may intervene in “rare and exceptional” cases where answers are demonstrably incorrect or procedurally flawed. 
• When ambiguity exists, the benefit of doubt lies with the examination authority. 

Timeline Errors and Procedural Gaps: 

• The court criticized the lack of uniformity in question sets and reference mismatches. 
• Directed that all students who attempted Q.115 and Q.116 (affected by set mismatch) be granted full marks. 

Final Judgment & Relief Granted 

In a balanced verdict, the Delhi High Court ordered: 

• Re-evaluation of several specific questions (including Q.5, Q.77, Q.114, Q.115, Q.116) based on findings of error. 
• Candidates who attempted withdrawn or “data inadequate” questions would receive full marks. 
• A revised final merit list to be published by the Consortium of NLUs within 4 weeks from the date of judgment (i.e., by 21st May 2025). 

What This Means for CLAT Aspirants? 

This judgment sets a new standard in legal education governance. Law entrance exams can no longer take for granted the absolute authority of answer keys. The process must now adhere to: 

• Syllabus consistency 
• Answer key validation by experts 
• Transparent handling of objections 
• Legal compliance with Article 14 and 21 (Right to Fairness and Education) 

Preparation Tips for CLAT 2026 

With judicial scrutiny on CLAT rising, aspirants must take a smarter approach: 

Legal Reasoning Without Law: 

• Focus on comprehension-based application of legal principles, not memorization. Use mock scenarios to build reasoning skills. 

Current Affairs: 

• Daily reading from The Hindu, Indian Express, and curated legal sources is crucial. Connect facts with constitutional/legal impact. 

Mock Tests & Review: 

• Attempt weekly full-length mocks. Analyze your errors. Pattern recognition and correction are key.

How Drishti Judiciary Supports You 

At Drishti Judiciary, we’ve been guiding aspirants through every challenge in legal entrance exams: 

• CLAT Foundation Batch 2025-26 – available online, offline, and in recorded mode 
•  Expert faculty with live case discussions and doubt-clearing sessions 
•  Judgment-based Legal Reasoning classes 
•  Tailored mock tests modeled on real CLAT scenarios 

With this judgment, it is clear: transparency and preparation go hand in hand. Let Drishti Judiciary be your partner in this legal journey. 

Conclusion 

The Delhi High Court’s intervention in CLAT UG 2025 is a landmark in student rights and academic integrity. As the legal landscape of entrance exams evolves, aspirants must adapt with smart strategies and structured coaching. CLAT 2026 is around the corner — the time to act is now.