A lawyer and disability rights activist, Arnab Roy filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the "stringent conditions" imposed on Persons with Disabilities (PwD) intending to avail scribes for the upcoming Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2023, as per a report by LiveLaw.
The petition stated that 13 visually impaired candidates were denied scribes owing to the restrictions imposed by the Consortium of National Law Universities, as per LiveLaw. The Consortium, which lays down guidelines for availing scribes, prohibits them if they are above Class XII or they are affiliated to any test preparatory organisation or examination coaching centre, as per the report.
The petitioner contends that these eligibility conditions set out by the Consortium are "excessive and arbitrary." "Above all, the petition expresses concern that the Consortium has disowned its positive obligation to provide scribes for those who are unable to select or find one themselves either because of financial constraints or other accessibility issues. As per the plea, the Consortium is also in violation of the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Society Justice and Empowerment that requires examination bodies to provide a scribe on request in case the PwD candidate cannot arrange for one themselves," the report by LiveLaw stated.
EdexLive had earlier reported that CLAT, which determines students' entry into top-ranked National Law Universities (NLUs) in the country, is not accessible to students with disabilities, and those who come from low-income backgrounds, as pointed out by them.
The petitioner further argues that due to the conditions set out by the Consortium, the category of scribes who are presently in Class XII are eliminated and those who are in Class X and XI are also eliminated, making it further difficult for the PwD candidates to find scribes by themselves.
Earlier, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud also lamented that this current model of selection of students for NLUs, which involves cracking the CLAT, may not result in the selection of those with the “right ethos”.