12 LLB aspirants approach High Court against Panjab University

Chandigarh, September 1: Seeking the quashing of the Panjab University notice which had scrapped the entrance test for admission in the BA/B Com LLB five-year integrated course, 12 LLB aspirants have approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

On being issued a notice by the HC, the counsel for PU has sought time to obtain instructions in the matter.

The PU counsel on Monday submitted before the bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Avneesh Jhingan he needs time to obtain instructions on whether the entrance exams are being held by PU for three-year law course, The Indian Express reported. The HC scheduled hearing of the matter for September 1.

The 12 petitioners belonging to different states have argued before the HC through counsel Deepak Vashisht that in July, PU had published prospectus on its official website and applications were invited for admissions in PU BA/B Com LLB (Hons), five-year integrated course by way of holding entrance test for the admission in the course. 

The applicants filled the application forms after following all instructions mentioned in the brochure-cum-prospectus issued by PU. However, on August 11, 2020, PU scrapped the UG law entrance test due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The admission schedule was formalised again for the next session wherein admissions will be based on Class XII results only. This is not only arbitrary in nature but also against the will of natural justice and thus liable to be set aside, argued advocate Vashisht.

The petitioners pleaded that the CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) exam 2020 for all national law universities is also rescheduled in view of the Covid-19 situation. Now they are rescheduling the exam for September 7, for PG and UG programmes.

PU can also go in for the same arrangement for conducting the entrance exam as done by the authorities to conduct the CLAT exam throughout the country. 

The petition also mentioned that Bar Council of India has also issued a letter, dated May 27, 2020, to all vice-chancellors of universities that final-year students of three- and five- year courses may be allowed to appear in online examinations. However, the universities must adopt an alternative strategy for conducting examinations for those students who are unable to avail the option of online examinations.

https://indianexpress.com/article/education/12-llb-aspirants-approach-high-court-against-panjab-university-6578491/