GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF LAW & JUSTICE

DEPARTMENT OF LEGAL AFFAIRS

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RAJYA SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.  2205  

TO BE ANSWERED ON THURSDAY, THE 16^th December, 2021

LLB entrance examinations in regional languages

 2205 # Shri Harnath Singh Yadav :

    Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

(a) whether Government has taken cognizance of the fact that entrance examinations for admission in few high ranked educational law institutions of the country are conducted only in English language; (b)   if so, the details thereof;

• whether it is also a fact that due to entrance examinations being conducted in English language, the students of deprived sections who want to join judicial service, are deprived of their fundamental right to get education by creating linguistic discrimination; and
• if so, whether Government proposes to conduct entrance examinations in other regional languages including Hindi in the said educational institutions?

ANSWER MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE  (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

(a) to (d) : Under the Advocates Act, 1961, The Bar Council of India being a regulatory body for legal education in the country has informed that the entrance examination is conducted by various Universities or by the consortium of National Law Universities. As far as the National Universities are concerned, usually, the entrance exam is conducted in English language and for some Universities there may also be entrance examination option in regional languages too. As far as Bar Council of India is concerned in its rules of legal education, it is clearly envisaged that the medium of instructions etc., apart from the English language can also be other regional languages as per the convenience of the universities. Therefore, the Bar Council of India shall write to the Universities asking them to further explore the feasibility of conducting entrance examination in respect of regional languages for the convenience of the locals of the area apart from conducting the same in English language.

As far as the National Law Universities are concerned, there was a request made from certain quarters that Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) examination should also be conducted in such regional languages apart from English language. The Bar Council of India being the regulatory body for legal education shall definitely consider this aspect and shall issue an advisory to Universities in this regard.

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