Bar Council To Issue Advisory Regarding Conducting CLAT And Other LLB Entrance Exams In Regional Languages: Kiren Rijiju

Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju informed the Parliament on Thursady that the Bar Council of India shall write to the Universities asking them to further explore the feasibility of conducting entrance examination in respect of regional languages for the convenience of the locals of the area apart from conducting the same in English language. 

Law Minister also said that the Bar Council will also issue advisory regarding conducting the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), the entrance exam for the National Law Universities, in regional languages.

The Minister was replying to a question from BJP Rajya Sabha MP Harnath Singh Yadav as to whether the Government proposes to conduct entrance examinations in other regional languages including Hindi in high ranking educational institutions.

As a part of the question, it was said by the MP that the students of deprived sections who want to join judicial service, are deprived of their fundamental right to get education by creating linguistic discrimination.

The Minister said that under the Advocates Act, 1961, the Bar Council of India being a regulatory body for legal education in the country has informed that the entrance examination is conducted by various Universities or by the consortium of National Law Universities. As far as the National Universities are concerned, usually, the entrance exam is conducted in English language and for some Universities, there may also be entrance examination option in regional languages too, the Minister added.

"As far as Bar Council of India is concerned in its rules of legal education, it is clearly envisaged that the medium of instructions etc., apart from the English language can also be other regional languages as per the convenience of the universities. Therefore, the Bar Council of India shall write to the Universities asking them to further explore the feasibility of conducting entrance examination in respect of regional languages for the convenience of the locals of the area apart from conducting the same in English language", the Minister answered.

The Minister also said that there was a request made from certain quarters that Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) examination should also be conducted in such regional languages apart from the English language. He added that the Bar Council will definitely consider this aspect and shall issue an advisory to Universities in this regard.