In a ruling that stirred plenty of chatter in the legal corridors, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday struck down a National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) notification that tied recruitment of young legal professionals to scores from the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) Post Graduate exams held in 2022 and later. The decision came from a Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela after weeks of hearings and a reserved judgment.
Background
The controversy began when NHAI announced on August 11, 2025, that it would hire 44 Young Professionals (Legal) based on their CLAT PG scores, starting from the 2022 exam cycle. The move instantly raised eyebrows among law graduates and practicing advocates who never appeared for those specific years’ tests.
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Petitioner and practicing lawyer Shannu Baghel argued that the system shut doors on an entire segment of eligible lawyers—people with valid LLB degrees or those who had taken the CLAT PG exam before 2022. “The criteria of restricting selection exclusively on the basis of CLAT 2022 onward score is arbitrary, irrational,” Baghel said in his plea.
NHAI, represented by counsel Ankur Mittal, countered that the CLAT score was only one part of the process. He claimed candidates would also be assessed on arbitration experience and a personal interview.
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Court’s Observations
The judges, however, were not convinced. During earlier hearings, Chief Justice Upadhyaya questioned the very logic of using a university entrance exam for public employment. “How can this exam be a qualification? LLB is eligibility. It is a public employment, such a provision hits Article 16,” the Chief Justice remarked from the bench.
The Court repeatedly pointed out that the CLAT PG exam was designed to test readiness for higher legal studies, not government hiring. “The bench observed, ‘The recruitment criteria is exclusionary and cannot stand the test of equality under the Constitution.’”
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Decision
Announcing the verdict, the Division Bench said, “The writ petition is allowed and the recruitment criteria of August 11 is hereby quashed.” With these words, the High Court set aside the entire notification, effectively stopping NHAI from going ahead with its plan to shortlist lawyers based on CLAT PG scores. The ruling ends the matter squarely at the court’s doorstep, leaving NHAI to rethink how it will select its next batch of legal professionals.
Case: Shannu Baghel v. Union of India & NHAI – Delhi High Court Quashes CLAT-Based Lawyer Recruitment
Date of Judgment: 24 September 2025