What is CLAT Consortium? History, Objectives, Members, Participating Institutes, Executive Committee

Latest News of CLAT Consortium 2024

As per the latest updates of the Consortium of NLU CLAT 2024, the exam will be conducted in December 2023. The CLAT Consortium will start the registration process by the end of August 2023 on its official website.

• CLAT 2024 exam date: December 2023 (Date to be announced)
• CLAT registration last date: To be Announced
• Last date to make payment: To be Announced

What is CLAT Consortium?

The candidates may know that the Consortium of NLUs is the governing body of the national-level Law Entrance Exam CLAT. When the CLAT Consortium was formed in Bangalore on March 26, 2019, under the Karnataka Co-operative Society Act, 16 NLUs signed as founding members, establishing the Consortium as a legal entity. Other than the National Law University of Delhi, the remaining NLUs afterward joined the Consortium. The National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore, the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR), Hyderabad, and the National Law Institute (NLIU), Bhopal, are its three permanent members.

Each year, the CLAT Consortium General Council elects the CLAT's President, Vice-President, and Convener. The Ex-officio Secretary of the Consortium is the Vice-Chancellor of NLSIU, Bangalore. The Consortium's primary goal is to promote top-notch legal education throughout all of its member universities, in addition to administering the CLAT admissions test for graduate and post-graduate programmes at the participating Universities.

History of CLAT Consortium

The first national law university, known as the National Law School of India University, was founded in Bangalore in 1987 as a result of the second wave of reforms to legal education. The second National Law University, NALSAR (National Academy of Legal Studies and Research), opened in Hyderabad in 1998 after a wait of more than ten years. Then, various States created NLUs. Under state statutes, NLUs—islands of excellence—are established, with the Chief Justice of India or the Chief Justice of the relevant High Court serving as Chancellor (Exceptions include the RMLNLU in Lucknow and the Dr B.R. Ambedkar National Law University in Rai, Haryana, where the Chief Minister and Governor are, respectively, the Chancellors.)

NLUs were developed using the IIMs and IITs education model. In India, NLUs have altered the way that legal education is seen. In fact, India is the only nation in the world with universities dedicated solely to the study of law. There are 23 NLUs in existence today, 22 of which use the Common Law Admission Test CLAT to accept students (National Law University, Delhi has its own separate test). There were only seven NLUs between 1987 and 2007, and each had its unique test.

• In 2006, a parent filed a PIL in the Supreme Court of India asking for the creation of a common test for admission to all NLUs (CWP 68 of 2006, ruled on November 23, 2007—Varun Bhagat v. Union of India).
• In the presence of the Secretary of MHRD and a UGC representative, seven NLUs inked an agreement in 2008 to host CLAT.
• The first CLAT, an offline, MCQ-based exam, was held in 2008. Without any significant hiccups, this lasted until 2014. In order to expand the scope of CLAT to cover the remaining seven NLUs, a revised MoU was signed in 2015, and CLAT went live.
• The foundation of the CLAT Consortium was thought out by the member NLUs in 2015 once the seeds had been planted.
• Shamnad Bashir filed a PIL in 2015 (CWP 600 of 2015), in which she emphasized the need for a permanent secretariat and a permanent body to investigate the CLAT.
• Disha Panchal v. Union of India filed another CWP 551 of 2018 in 2018. In this instance, MHRD was given the go-ahead to investigate CLAT's actions to ensure that they were just and fair.
• A permanent CLAT Secretariat was created in Bangalore on October 17, 2018. CLAT Consortium also made the decision to run the test offline once more in 2018. The test was previously administered by the University on a rotating basis, but now it will be administered by the EC of the CLAT Consortium.

A consortium of CLAT: Member Institutes

As per the latest official updates, below is the list of current member institutes in the CLAT Consortium. Go through the NIRF Ranking 2022 of each institute and make your preference list to study Law in India.

Objectives of CLAT Consortium

The Consortium of CLAT desires to promote better coordination among all the NLUs to acquire a high standard of legal education in India. As per the latest updates, 22 National Law Universities have joined the CLAT Consortium founder members, till now. The objectives and aims under which this society has been established are as follows.

• CLAT Consortium helps in promoting international collaboration in Indian Legal Studies
• To develop uniform guidelines for the admission process, semester system, legal courses, and grading system, as per global standards.
• To initiate reforms in Indian legal education to improve national development.
• CLAT Consortium improves coordination between NLUs and other legal institutions in order to attain the highest level of legal education in the country. Get details CLAT Syllabus and start preparing for the upcoming exam.
• To offer teaching assistance to universities, educational institutions, and academics, as well as to promote new curricula, teaching techniques, and teaching materials in the field of law and related subjects.
• CLAT Consortium administers, control, and oversee the CLAT, the all-India common entrance examination for law, on behalf of all participating NLUs, and assists student admission to various NLUs across the country.
• To allow any other institution to use CLAT Result for admission, appointments, or any other purpose in conformity with the Society's Bye-Laws.
• CLAT Consortium makes law research easier in national, global, and comparative fields.
• To introduce new law courses like Security Law, Terrorism Law, Constitutional Law, Business Law, International Law, Energy Law, Maritime Law, Economic Law, WTO and GATS, Environmental Law, and many more.

Governing Body of Consortium of CLAT [Last Year]

Every year, the governing body of the CLAT Consortium announces the notification of CLAT, which is totally responsible for conducting this exam for that particular year. The governing bodies of the CLAT Consortium of the year 2023 are listed below.

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• Prof. (Dr.) Sudhir Krishnaswamy: Vice-Chancellor - National Law School of India University - Bengaluru - Secretary-Treasurer
• Prof. (Dr.) Poonam Saxena: Vice-Chancellor - National Law University (NLU) - Jodhpur - President
• Prof. V. Balakista Reddy: Vice Chancellor - NALSAR University of Law (NALSAR), Hyderabad
• Prof. (Dr.) V.C. Vivekanandan: Vice-Chancellor - Hidayatullah National Law University - Raipur - Convenor (CLAT 2022)
• Prof. (Dr.) V. Vijayakumar: Vice-Chancellor - The National Law Institute University - Bhopal - Permanent Member
• Prof. (Dr.) Faizan Mustafa: Vice-Chancellor - NALSAR University of Law - Hyderabad - Permanent Member
• Prof. (Dr.) N.K. Chakrabarti: Vice-Chancellor - The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences - Kolkata
• Hon'ble Justice Smt. Mridula Mishra: Vice-Chancellor (In-Charge) - Chanakya National Law University - Patna
• Prof. (Dr). K.C. Sunny: Vice-Chancellor - National University of Advanced Legal Studies - Kochi
• Prof. Subir K. Bhatnagar: Vice-Chancellor - Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University - Lucknow
• Prof. Sanjeevi Shanthakumar: Director - Gujarat National Law University - Gandhinagar - Member
• Prof. (Dr.) G.S. Bajpai: Vice-Chancellor - the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law - Punjab
• Prof. (Dr.) V.K. Ahuja: Vice-Chancellor - National Law University and Judicial Academy - Assam
• Prof. (Dr.) Ved Kumari: Vice-Chancellor - National Law University - Odisha - Cuttack
• Prof. (Dr.) V.S. Elizabeth: Vice-Chancellor - Tamil Nadu National Law University - Tiruchirappalli
• Prof. (Dr.) Kesava Rao Vurrakula: Vice-Chancellor - National University of Study and Research in Law - Ranchi
• Prof. (Dr.) S. Surya Prakash: Vice-Chancellor - Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University - Visakhapatnam
• Prof. (Dr.) Nishtha Jaswal: Vice-Chancellor - Himachal Pradesh National Law University - Shimla
• Prof. (Dr.) Dilip Ukey: Vice-Chancellor - Maharashtra National Law University - Mumbai
• Prof. (Dr.) V. Nagaraj: Vice-Chancellor - Dharmashastra National Law University - Jabalpur
• Prof. (Dr.) Vijender Kumar: Vice-Chancellor - Maharashtra National Law University - Nagpur - Vice-President
• Prof. Dr. K.V.S. Sarma: Vice-Chancellor - Maharashtra National Law University - Aurangabad

CLAT Consortium Executive Committee [Last Year]

The executive members of the Consortium of CLAT of the year 2023 are listed below.

Role of CLAT Consortium

The Consortium of CLAT has now become the legal entity for Law admission and education in India. It is a permanent member, including the National Law School of India University - Bangalore, National Law Institute -Bhopal, and National Academy of Legal Studies and Research - Hyderabad. Its main role is to promote quality legal education to all its member institutes.

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Below are some roles and responsibilities of the CLAT Consortium in performing the best legal education and practice.

• Compile, edit, collate and publish presentations, writings, articles, reports, books, journals, papers, magazines, research, periodicals, thesis, documents, and other materials connected to the Society's aims.
• CLAT Consortium makes an agreement with government authority, whether state, local, federal, municipal, or international, to make valuable society goals.
• Accept grants, donations, and support from public authorities, companies, corporations, individuals, or NGOs to achieve the Society's aims.