Delhi High Court Overturns NHAI's CLAT-PG Hiring Criteria

The Delhi High Court has nullified the National Highways Authority of India's (NHAI) notification, which used CLAT-PG scores as the exclusive hiring criterion for legal professionals. Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela led the division bench in declaring the August 11 decision arbitrary and outside the intended scope of the CLAT-PG exam.

The Court clarified that a test designed for postgraduate law admissions should not dictate professional employment standards in public institutions. This decision came after a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by Advocate Shannu Baghel, who argued that CLAT-PG scores evaluate academic aptitude, not professional capability.

The court also noted that the exclusive reliance on CLAT-PG scores by NHAI unfairly excluded many qualified advocates, breaching constitutional rights to equality under Articles 14 and 16. Despite NHAI's defense of its hiring criteria as transparent and objective, the bench found no link between CLAT-PG and the skills needed for NHAI's legal roles.

(With inputs from agencies.)