One Court, One Verdict: SC Transfers CLAT 2025 Cases to Delhi HC

The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered that all pending cases related to the CLAT 2025 undergraduate (UG) exam results be transferred to the Delhi High Court.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna, Justice PV Sanjay Kumar, and Justice KV Viswanathan passed the order after the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLU Consortium) sought to consolidate the cases before a single High Court to avoid contradictory verdicts.

“List before Delhi High Court on March 3. Within seven days, registrars of each High Court should send the case papers to Delhi High Court,” the Supreme Court directed.

Why Were the Cases Transferred?

• Multiple CLAT UG petitions were pending before Delhi, Rajasthan, and Punjab & Haryana High Courts.
• The Supreme Court ruled that a single High Court should handle all cases for consistency and speed in resolving disputes.
• This move prevents conflicting judgments that could disrupt the CLAT 2025 admissions process.

Background: What Led to the Supreme Court’s Decision?

December 20, 2024 – Delhi High Court Ruling

• A single-judge bench of Justice Jyoti Singh ruled in favour of 17-year-old CLAT candidate Aditya Singh, identifying errors in two out of five flagged questions in the UG paper.
• The Court ordered the Consortium of NLUs to revise results accordingly.
• The ruling was challenged by both the NLU Consortium and Aditya Singh before a Division Bench.

Appeals and Arguments

• NLU Consortium’s Argument: The Delhi HC should not have interfered with expert-evaluated answers.
• Aditya Singh’s Argument: The Delhi HC only ordered corrections for two questions, but there were three more errors that needed rectification.
• CLAT PG Controversy: Similar challenges on incorrect answer keys are pending before the Madhya Pradesh and Bombay High Courts for the CLAT PG exam.

Next Steps

• March 3, 2025: Delhi High Court will take up the consolidated CLAT UG cases.
• Registrars of other High Courts must send case documents to Delhi High Court within seven days.
• CLAT PG disputes remain pending before Madhya Pradesh and Bombay High Courts.

This ruling is expected to streamline legal proceedings, ensuring a faster resolution for affected CLAT candidates.