In a significant verdict, the Delhi High Court on Monday stayed the operation of a decision by the National Law University (NLU), Delhi, to reserve 50% seats for candidates from the city, saying it was taken in “haste without acting in accordance with the NLU Act”.
A Bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Subramonium Prasad remarked that “grave prejudice” would be caused to the students who would be applying for admission in NLU, Delhi for the academic year 2020-21 if the January 14 admission notification was not stayed.
“In fact, staying the operation of the impugned notification insofar as horizontal reservation of seats for students belonging to Delhi has been provided for the academic year 2020-21, would result in inviting a larger section of students,” the court said.
Last year NLU, Delhi, received 24,000 applications for admission, but the number of applications dwindled to around 18,000 this year.
“This significant reduction in the number of applications received by the respondent NLU, Delhi, is a telling comment on the change made in the admission policy for the academic year 2020-21,” the Bench said.
The court’s decision came on two separate petitions challenging the admission notification issued by NLU, Delhi, earlier this year for admitting students to the BA LL.B (Five Year Programme) and LL.M (One Year Programme), providing 50% horizontal reservation to candidates who have passed the qualifying examination from a recognized school/ college/ institute located within the NCT of Delhi.
The court, additionally, directed NLU, Delhi to maintain ‘status quo ante as of the previous academic year’ for making admissions the academic year 2020-21.
‘No effect on exams’
The NLU, Delhi was also directed to issue a public notice on or before July 2, informing the public at large about the decision taken by the High Court and granting a further period of one week from the date of issuance of public notice to enable interested candidates to submit their applications for admission.
The redrawn schedule will not interfere with the entrance examinations that are to take place in August 2020, the court clarified.