Authorities should not insist on setting vaccination as key criteria for appearing in CLAT: SC

NEW DELHI: Authorities should not insist on students being vaccinated against COVID-19 to take the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT)-2021 scheduled on July 23, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday while making clear that it would not postpone the examination at this stage.

The apex court directed the concerned authorities to take all measures to protect the health of examiners at the examination centres.

CLAT is a centralised national level entrance test for admissions to National Law Universities (NLUs) in India.

The top court passed the order on petitions challenging the June 14 notification issued by the Consortium of National Law Universities fixing date for CLAT-2021 for both under graduate and post graduate programmes.

"The examination is scheduled to be held on July 23, 2021. We do not deem it proper to postpone the examination at this stage. However, we see force in the submissions of the counsel for the petitioners that all safety measures have to be strictly followed at the examination centres for the sake of the health of the candidates in taking the examination," a bench of Justices L N Rao and Aniruddha Bose said.

"The concerned authorities are directed to take all measures to protect the health of the examiners at the examination centre. The authorities concerned should not insist on the students being vaccinated to take the examination," the bench said in its order and disposed of the petitions.

The apex court noted in its order that according to the notification, it would be a pen and paper examination conducted at several centres with all Covid-19 safety protocols being observed and candidates were advised to get themselves vaccinated.

The counsel appearing for the petitioners submitted that it was impossible for the candidates to get themselves vaccinated as most of the students are below 18 years of age.

The counsel further said it might be difficult, at least for those students residing in areas where there is lockdown, to travel to centres to take the examination.