GNLU Gandhinagar rolled out seats in its second year LLB class, for students of other NLUs, on 24 May but by 7 June, after interested students had already applied for admission the law school rolled back the offer due to objection from the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) committee.

According to authoritative sources, on 24 May GNLU notified online that it was accepting applications from NLU students for seats which had opened up in its second year LLB class. An online application form to write an exam for selection to GNLU was provided on the law school’s website. Application fee of Rs 1000 was to accompany the application form.

On submitting the online application form and fee, applicants received the following email from GNLU’s admissions office:

Dear Candidate,

As given in instructions your candidature can be considered for admission in III Semester of the 5 year LL.B. (Hons.) Degree Course by way of Inter-NLU Transfer (under the General Category) only on receipt of hard copy of the Admission Form within stipulated time line.

In case you qualify for admission in accordance with the procedure mentioned in instructions, you shall be required to bring the hard copy of the attached Admission Form at the time of taking admission at GNLU. The photocopy of the document(s) attached with the Admission Form will be verified with the original document(s), hence the original document(s) shall be brought at the time of admission.

This email does not confirm your admission or any right whatsoever.

Admission

GNLU

However GNLU soon rolled back its inter-NLU transfer policy, didn’t notify the rollback and its reasons on its website, and by the end of 7 June, all the applicants had received the following email from the law school’s admissions office:

Dear Candidate

In reference to your submission of application for admission into second year of Undergraduate Program against the vacant seats, please be informed that the University will not proceed further as it may create a vacancy in other National Law University. We will return your administration by RTGS/cheque and all documents.

We thank you for your understanding.

Admission GNLU

As mentioned in the email, the rollback was because such transfers would create vacancies in the NLUs from which the applicants were transferring to GNLU.

Prof Paramjit Jaswal – the vice chancellor of CLAT 2016 convenor RGNUL Patiala – told Legally India that he had written, on behalf of the CLAT core committee, to GNLU director Bimal Patel “a few days ago” to remind him that inter-NLU transfers were not permissible under the CLAT which is only an exam for first-year LLB and LLM admissions to NLUs. Jaswal said that since Patel was also a part of the core committee – which is comprised of the vice chancellors of the 16 NLUs which are a part of CLAT – he should follow the CLAT admission rules, and that after his email Patel rolled back the offered seats.

One applicant told Legally India that they had lost money in booking flights and hotel stay in Gandhinagar for the dates of the inter-NLU transfer exam scheduled by GNLU.

Patel did not respond to an email for comment.