The National Law School of India University (NLSIU) Bengaluru, has decided to reserve 25 per cent of its seats to local students from Karnataka for the upcoming academic year 2021-2022. The premier national law institute has introduced this as horizontal compartmentalised reservation for the first time. 

The university has clarified that “candidates who have studied for not less than 10 years in a recognised educational institution in Karnataka” will be eligible to be considered as ‘Karnataka Students’.

In a recent notification, the management has asked the candidates appearing for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) to update their reservation option while filling out applications, to avail the reservation.

The reservation, as noted by the Institute, is part of the “NLSIU Inclusion and Expansion Plan 2021-2024” adopted by it “to increase diversity of its students and facilitate greater access to marginalised and/or underprivileged sections of the society in a phased manner”.

The reservation is applicable to BA, LLB (Hons) and LLM programmes with an intake capacity 120 and 50 seats respectively. 5% of the seats (6 seats) will be reserved horizontally for persons with disabilities.

The University further plans to expand its intake to 2,200 students across all programmes, by 2028-29.

It can be recalled that the Karnataka High Court had rejected the 25 per cent horizontal reservation given to Karnataka students in NLSIU last year. A division bench comprising Justice B V Nagarathna and Justice Ravi V Hosmani had annulled the National Law School Of India (Amendment) Act, 2020 passed by the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The Act then had notified 25 per cent reservation for Karnataka students in NLSIU.

The Bench had then noted that “NLSIU is a unique institution of national character and not a mere state university”. Further, the judgment had mentioned that the NLSIU (Amendment) Act, 2020 “ultra vires the objects and purport of the Act” as well as the character of the Law School as an autonomous and independent entity having an All India or national character. The HC was pronouncing the judgment in petitions filed by the Bar Council of India and parents of students seeking admission at the Institute, which challenged the amendment.

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