Delhi High Court will hear on September 8 a petition challenging the NHAI notification that makes CLAT-PG scores mandatory for hiring lawyers, with the plea terming the move “arbitrary, irrational” and discriminatory against many qualified legal professionals.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court set to hear a petition on September 8 challenging a notification from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) that uses scores from the Common Law Admission Test for Post Graduates (CLAT-PG) as a criterion for hiring lawyers.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela briefly discussed the case recently and has allowed time for the NHAI’s counsel to gather instructions on the matter.
The petition will be further reviewed on Monday.
Shannu Bahgel, a practicing lawyer, filed the petition arguing that using CLAT-PG scores from the 2022 exam as a basis for public employment is inappropriate, as the test is intended solely to evaluate the qualifications of candidates with an LL.B degree who wish to pursue a master’s degree in law.
The petitioner contended that the objective of the selection process outlined in the August 11 notification is not to further legal education but to recruit legal professionals.
He stated,
“There does not appear to be any reasonable or rational nexus between the objects sought to be achieved and the basis of preparation of merit for such selection.”
The NHAI’s counsel requested additional time to obtain instructions from the relevant authorities. The bench noted that the purpose of the CLAT-PG exam is to assess merit for higher education, not for public employment.
The petitioner is contesting the NHAI’s notification from August 11, which aims to hire 44 young professionals based on CLAT scores from 2022 and future examinations.
He argued that using CLAT-PG scores for public recruitment is both arbitrary and unreasonable, as it limits opportunities to candidates who took the exam from 2022 onward, excluding other qualified law graduates and practicing advocates.
The petition emphasized that restricting selection solely based on CLAT 2022 and later scores is “arbitrary, irrational.”