The Delhi High Court has reserved its judgment on a public interest litigation (PIL) questioning the validity of the National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI) notification dated August 11, which made Common Law Admission Test, Postgraduate (CLAT-PG) scores the benchmark for hiring legal professionals.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, after hearing extensive arguments from all parties, directed that the ongoing recruitment process of NHAI be put on hold until the pronouncement of its verdict.
During earlier hearings, NHAI had indicated its willingness to revisit the impugned policy that tied legal recruitment exclusively to CLAT-PG performance. The PIL, filed by advocate Shannu Baghel, challenges the notification on the ground that the CLAT-PG examination is designed solely to evaluate candidates for admission into postgraduate law programs, and not to assess suitability for public employment in legal roles.
The petitioner contended that equating CLAT-PG scores with eligibility for professional legal services lacks a rational nexus to the objective of recruitment. It was argued that such a criterion is arbitrary, discriminatory, and contrary to constitutional principles, as it sidelines merit assessment specific to professional competency in legal practice.
The plea further emphasized that recruitment by a statutory authority like NHAI must adhere to standards of fairness, equality, and transparency under Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India, which the impugned notification fails to satisfy.
The Court, while reserving its verdict, has kept the recruitment process on hold, making the outcome of this challenge crucial for determining whether CLAT-PG can be lawfully deployed as a yardstick for public sector legal appointments.
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