Surprising no-one, 13 June 2021 CLAT postponed indefinitely: So what options are there?

Saturday, 15 May 2021 By Legally India Pre-law student

The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) consortium met today and has decided to indefinitely postpone the date for now.

The CLAT consortium released a notification on the official website stating:

CLAT 2021 scheduled to be held on June 13, 2021 stands postponed. New date of the test will be notified in due course.

The deadline for online applications has been postponed until 15 June.

Delays: Understandable

The CLAT consortium had vowed in April to give an update about the tentative 13 June 2021 date by early May, but in light of the continuing unpredictability of the pandemic it is not surprising that the deadline has been missed.

And with the raging second wave of the pandemic, which is tragically promising to continue ravaging different states in turn for some time yet, the decision is entirely understandable.

Even last year, when the Indian pandemic was far smaller than this year, the CLAT was forced to postpone the date of the exam was postponed many, many times and eventually and finally to 28 September 2020.

Taking that as a precedent, it seems rather sensible for the CLAT to avoid announcing another date now that will be subject to so many unknown unknowns and variables as to be almost impossible to keep.

Tough choices, none great, but few things are great right now

Of course, considering this year’s pandemic is so much worse than last year’s, the consortium will have some tough choices ahead.

And discussions are sure to include pondering about whether the only solution is to hold an online exam, despite the risks such as cheating and exclusion associated therewith.

And any decision will not be made easier by NLSIU Bangalore’s unilateral and surprise attempt (and failure) to do an online admissions test last year.

Knowing how the consortium works, it is a near certainty that individual VCs will continue considering all options, including an online exam.

However, getting 22 national law school vice chancellors trying to agree on anything will be very hard, especially any radical technological solutions such as an online CLAT.

Longer postponement and sticking to an offline CLAT until the pandemic is somewhat under control therefore still seems the most conservative and likely option.

And while delaying the CLAT in 2020 had caused heavy disruptions to academic (and aspirant) schedules, most NLUs have made up for time by skipping some semester breaks and holding extra classes.

Common Law Admission Test (CLAT)CLAT 2021

Comments

Guest 15 May 2021, 14:38

+5 -34

An online exam is the only way out. NLSIU already did it for their MPP exam, if I am not wrong. Those opposing an online exam are not only deluded but are showing disregard for the lives of millions. We CANNOT have thousands of unvaccinated students visiting exam centres, even with masks on. Another option is to accept Jindal LSAT marks. 90% of serious law aspirants are giving the exam because they want to keep Jindal as a backup option if they can;t make it to NLUs. So why not use LSAT scores anyway? The consortium must immediately start planning for an online exam.

NLUite 15 May 2021, 15:16

+23 -1

No sir, most of the aspirants don’t have 50 lakhs and are not willing to use their parents’ home as collateral. To give you a rough idea, only 7-8 people in my class of 100+ students took LSAT. Unless JGLS gets SBI to include them in the scholar loan list in A+ category, most of the clat aspirants will not have LSAT as a feasible option.

Guest 15 May 2021, 16:12

+14 -2

SBI is not going to give you a loan of 40 lakhs for a 5 year course at a university that currently cannot place more than 10% of its students. Even with a law firm job, it would take you years to repay that loan.

NLUite 15 May 2021, 20:27

+11 -0

That is exactly what I said, LSAT and ultimately JGLS is not a feasible option for 99% of CLAT aspirants. Even the people who take the exam just do it for practice because 50-lakhs is an outrageous number. Unless JGLS either reduces the fee or increases the scholarship, it might as well just remain exclusive for the people who can’t get through clat but can pay their way to good faculty and infrastructure, not an option for the middle-class CLAT taker.

HI GUYS 15 May 2021, 15:32

And do a utter mess like NLAT in a larger scale

Guest 15 May 2021, 14:46

+3 -42

During World War 2, many universities abroad closed admissions for 1 or 2 years and the youth were instead sent to join the army. This is like a war, so universities should similarly consider not enrolling any batch of 2021. Instead of Day Zero and final recruitments for the 2021 batch, we can have more recruitments from the 2020 batch. The 2021 batch can instead appear for CLAT with the 2022 batch. Some people will lose out and be forced to join lesser colleges, but can't be helped. The 2021 batch will have to suffer for the sake of the nation.

Guest 15 May 2021, 14:50

+4 -15

[quote] sticking to an offline CLAT until the pandemic is somewhat under control therefore still seems the most conservative and likely option.
[/quote]

Absolutely not. There will be waves and mutations till such time enough people are vaccinated, while take 1.5 years more. Sudhir Krishnaswamy was right all along with LNAT and LNAT has to be the way out.

Aspirant x 15 May 2021, 16:38

+3 -8

Jindal Global Law School is surely going to benefit from this, most of coaching’s toppers (CLAT Possible Lucknow) are now considering joining Jindal.

Dear CLAT consortium, could there be any way that you accept (only for this year) LSAT scores? (It is arguably the better exam as well). It is in your favour too because you’ll lose a lot of precious talent to Jindal.

Guest 15 May 2021, 17:43

+13 -3

No. Let those who want to join Jindal do so. Plenty of talented students in the country to join the NLUs and do well.

ffff 15 May 2021, 16:43

+3 -2

There is a high chance that senior secondary graduates from 2020 (who missed out due to the misfunctioning last year), 2021 and 2022 batches (because by the time results are published they’ll get their 12th certificates) give CLAT together. That’s too much competition in CLAT. Considering that CLAT dropouts from 2020 have got extra time and are only going to come stronger. And people who don’t manage to crack their desired university would lag behind due to the sheer number of months wasted.

August or September would be a third wave. This is getting too tough for young students

Guest 15 May 2021, 19:12

+3 -17

Just cancel this year's CLAT. Simple. This year's law aspirants will have to lose a year. Big deal. This is a global. pandemic. Consider yourself lucky you're alive.

Swadesi Controversy 16 May 2021, 13:18

+2 -3

Well nobody is anyway waiting for law graduates out there. Fine being late in admission.

Guest 25 May 2021, 16:21

+2 -1

Consortium just like last year has failed students , the only difference being this time a little early. Consortium website promises to provide practise papers and material. Where is that material? Aspirants have been rendered helpless. New pattern promised that no prior legal knowledge will be required but CLAT 2020' s entire legal section has core legal concepts like frustration of contracts, it was nothing like the sample papers. The inner politics between VCs always takes a toll on students and I reckon this year will be no different. I request Legally India to reach out to the Consortium and ask about the practise material they promised. Mustafa sir very easily told clat aspirants should just focus on "tyaari", but I ask how do we go about tyaari when we dont know whether exam is offline or online. An offline and online paper requires strategies which are wide apart. I hope consortium understands this. I hope legally india will aid in voicing these questions and help the students.

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