Panel finds faults with CLAT-2018 but recommends against re-test

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 10

A panel headed by a former Kerala High Court Judge has indicted the National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS), Kochi, for various "defects" and "imperfections" in conducting CLAT-2018 but recommended against holding the test afresh.

In its report submitted to the court, the Grievance Redressal Committee headed by Justice MR Hariharan Nair said majority of complaints related to failure of initial login which "must have arisen from the hardware, software and network deficiencies".

The Supreme Court, which had earlier allowed publication of results of CLAT-2018 and refused to stay the counselling process, will consider the report on Monday.

The panel indicted the organisers of CLAT-2018 (NUALS, Kochi), saying, "Conduct of a test of this magnitude without providing efficient software and computers to the candidates has resulted in avoidable interruptions in answering questions."

It said, "Power failure which affected many centres has resulted in loss of time and disturbance to the concentration of mind required for smooth performance in a competitive test."

However, the committee did not recommend cancellation of CLAT-2018 and re-conducting the entire test, "considering the magnitude of the requirements and the need to ensure smooth education of the successful candidates during the current academic year".

Instead, it suggested that the candidates who suffered due to technical glitches and mismanagement should be compensated.

"When the list is re-drawn after proving compensation as above, it has to be ensured that the rank of candidates in the existing list are not affectedThis will ensure that no heart burn is caused to candidates who have already ensured their berth in the rank list," the panel said in its report.

With regard to conduct of future examinations, it suggested that "availability of UPS and air condition facility of efficiency must be ensured."

Around 54,000 candidates had undertaken the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2018 conducted by National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi, on May 13 with the help of M/s Sify Technologies Ltd for admission to LLB courses in 19 national law universities.

Several law aspirants had moved the top court seeking cancellation of CLAT-2018, alleging gross mismanagement and technical glitches.

Contending that CLAT was a merit-based competitive examination, the petitioners had submitted that their rank would drastically vary even based on a score gap of one or two marks. In such a test with a limited time frame of 120 minutes, loss of time due to technical issues may render the entire effort of the petitioners futile.

The petitioners alleged that some candidates were given extra time on account of technical glitches, which amounted to violation of their right to equality and vitiated the idea of merit.

CLAT-2018 has been hitting headlines since May 13 with several petitions being filed against it in various high courts and the top court seeking its cancellation.