Disclaimer: This has been reported after the availability of the order of the Court and not on media reports so as to give an accurate report to our readers.
Allahabad High Court: In the appeal filed against the decision of the Single Judge Bench directing revision of the merit list for Common Law Admission Test-2026 (CLAT 2026), the Division Bench of Indrajeet Shukla and Saumitra Dayal Singh, JJ., allowed the stay application, holding that there was no occasion to allow for revision of the entire merit list on the strength of a single challenge.
Background
Previously, in Avneesh Gupta (Minor) v. Consortium of National Law Universities, 2026 SCC OnLine All 220, a Single Judge Bench partly allowed a petition filed by a CLAT aspirant regarding the incorrect assessment of his marks, holding that the Oversight Committee had, without giving any reason, overruled the decision of the Expert Committee regarding one question which had two correct answers. The Court had directed the Consortium of National Law Universities (CLAT Consortium) to revise the merit list and republish or renotify the same within one month. Aggrieved, the CLAT Consortium filed the present appeal.
During the pendency of the appeal, the Consortium filed the present stay application, contending that the Single Bench erred in accepting the contention that the two Answers B and D to Question No. 9 of Booklet C were correct. Though the expert panel accepted the objection raised by the respondent in that regard, the Oversight Committee disproved that recommendation.
The Consortium further contended that the respondent had not made out any case to award 1.25 marks to all candidates irrespective of the fact that no other litigation emerged before the Court. Thus, adhering to the impugned direction would not only upset the result declared but also lead to disturbance to admissions already made at various constituent National Law Universities (NLU).
The respondent contended that he had already been selected and may be offered counselling for admission at NLU, Sonipat.
Analysis
To the extent that the course studies would begin in July, the Court held that there was no occasion to allow for revision of the entire merit list on the strength of a single challenge, nor the ongoing counselling that is already over for two stages, may be interfered with, at present.
Thus, pending the present intra-Court appeal, the Court directed that the respondent may be granted provisional admission at NLU, Sonipat. It shall remain subject to the outcome of the present appeal, which may entitle him to admission to a higher/better institution.
However, if the respondent otherwise becomes entitled to admission at any higher institute through upgradation or other means outside this litigation, that benefit may be provided to him irrespective of the pendency of the appeal.
Accordingly, the Court stayed the direction of revising the entire merit list of CLAT 2026 based on the Expert Opinion.
The matter was listed for final disposal on 9-3-2026.
[Consortium of National Law Universities v. Avneesh Gupta, Special Appeal No. 135 of 2026, decided on 20-2-2026]
Advocates who appeared in this case:
For the appellant: Senior Advocate Avneesh Tripathi
For the respondent: Respondent in person