Why doesn’t NLU Delhi accept CLAT?

There are now 27 National Law Universities (NLUs) that are the face of legal education in India. National Law University Delhi (NLUD), NLSIU Bangalore, NALSAR Hyderabad, and GNLU Gandhinagar are among the noteworthy names. 

Every student pursuing law as a career must have wondered once or twice, “Why doesn’t NLU accept CLAT?“. All the NLUs in India, except NLUD, accept the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) for their admission, whereas NLU Delhi has its own All-India Law Entrance Test (AILET). 

So, what distinguishes NLU Delhi from other NLUs? And why, despite being an NLU, is it not a member of the CLAT, Consortium of NLUs? Let’s go over the answers in this post and look at the success of AILET.

NLU Delhi – History and Objectives of Establishment

NLU Delhi was established by Act No. 1 of NCT Delhi in 2008 in the National Capital Territory of Delhi with the backing of the High Court of Delhi, led by the leadership of Ranbir Singh, the vice-chancellor and founder-director of NALSAR Hyderabad. It was inaugurated by Pratibha Patil, the then-President of India.

The founding of NLUD marked a significant turning point in India’s legal education scene. It was one of the country’s original NLUs, and it immediately earned a reputation for academic quality and a tough curriculum. NLUD is well-known for its strong emphasis on research and dedication to social justice.

Check the official website of NLU Delhi.

The university’s primary goal is to develop and deliver comprehensive and multidisciplinary legal education that is socially relevant. The university works to raise community legal awareness and achieve political, social, and economic justice.

Why doesn’t NLU Delhi accept CLAT?

The answer to why NLU Delhi is not part of CLAT is very straightforward. NLUD conducts its own AILET for admissions to the B.A. LL.B., LL.M., and Ph.D. programs.

All the other NLUs refer to CLAT as their one-stop for admissions into UG and PG courses. So, candidates wonder if NLUD is also a national law university; why doesn’t it accept CLAT scores? Some reasons are listed below.

• To maintain control over its admission process. The university wants to have the flexibility to design its admission criteria and select students who are the best fit by conducting AILET.
• To ensure the selection of high-quality candidates. NLU Delhi believes that its entrance exam, AILET, is a more rigorous and comprehensive assessment of candidates’ legal aptitude than CLAT.
• To preserve its unique identity. NLU Delhi is a highly selective university with a strong focus on research and social justice. This explains why it wants to have its entrance exam to maintain its unique identity.

In 2012, Dr. Ranbir Singh, Founder of NLU Delhi and a crucial member in the establishment of CLAT, told Bar and Bench:

“One of the reasons was that [NLU Delhi] will be the 13th law school on the CLAT list. As a consequence, when students filled out their top NLU choices, NLU Delhi would be the 13th choice.”

NLUD’s administrative and financial concerns were also highlighted as reasons for not becoming a member of CLAT.

Also Read: List of Top NLUs

AILET Success Story 

In the first year of implementing AILET, NLU Delhi only received around 4000 candidates appearing for the exam. The number of candidates that appeared for AILET from 2019-2025 is given below.

Given the number of candidates that appear in AILET, it’s no wonder that AILET has become the mainstream law exam.

Is NLU Delhi a Good Law University?

NLU Delhi is one of the best law universities in India. The university currently holds the second spot in the NIRF rankings for law colleges in the country. The university received 73.91 points in the NIRF 2023 rankings and has continuously been placed among India’s best law schools. The below shows the median salary offered to NLUD students.

Packages offered to NLUD students

Note: The data shown above is taken from the National Law University Delhi NIRF report 2023.

Seat Allotment for NLU Delhi

• Under the B.A. LL.B. program, the university offers 110 seats through AILET, with 10 seats filled on a merit basis by foreign nationals.
• Under the LL.M. program, the university offers 70 seats through AILET and 10 seats to foreign nationals on a first-come, first-served basis.
• AILET also offers a total of 8 seats for the Ph.D. programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Is NLU Delhi part of CLAT?

Answer: No, the National Law University of Delhi is not a member of CLAT.

Question: Can we get admission into NLU Delhi without taking the CLAT exam?

Answer: Yes, NLU Delhi has its own admissions exam, known as AILET.

Question: How many students took  AILET 2025?

Answer: AILET 2025 was taken by more than 15,000 students.

Question: Is AILET difficult?

Answer: When the quantity of candidates per seat is considered, AILET is unquestionably more difficult than CLAT.