CLAT leaves aspiring lawyers miffed

BANGALORE: For nearly 830 undergraduate law students, who took the nationwide Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) at the National Law School of India University (NLSUI) here on Sunday, the question paper was a surprise, with a couple of sections deviating from the notified pattern. The CLAT website (www.clat.ac.in) categorically stated that the General Knowledge section would “only test students on their knowledge of current affairs (broadly defined as matters featured in mainstream media between March 2011 and March 2012).” However, the section, which is worth 50 marks, contained 22-25 questions on static GK and the rest on current affairs. A student of Jain College Lakshmikanth G said: “I may have lost marks in the GK section, as we were told that the paper would have questions on current issues. I was surprised to find static GK questions. Besides this, the paper was easy, and a tad lengthy. I could have done with another five minues.” Besides, students were also miffed with the Legal Aptitude section. Again, the CLAT website was clear that “Candidates will not be tested on prior knowledge of law or legal concepts.” But a student from Cluny Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Salem Bhavana Chandraprakash said that this was not adhered to. She said, “We were supposed to be given principles (propositions) to help us answer the questions. There were questions without the principles, and I had to struggle a bit while answering them.” Course Director at Paradygm Law Coaching Centre Anita T said that English, Mathematics and Logical Reasoning sections were on expected lines and added: “The fact that the question paper deviated from the pattern may have been a disadvantage for students.”Vice-Chancellor of NLSIU Prof R Venkata Rao said: “CLAT was successfully held. It was written by 830 UG and 42 PG students, out of the 916 who had registered. There were 44 absentees.” The CLAT results will be published on May 28. Students who have made it to the first list of their respective institutes have to deposit the fees by 4 pm on June 9.