CLAT 2017 registrations begin

Registrations are open for Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2017, conducted for admission to Integrated L.L.B and L.L.M courses offered by 18 National Law Universities of India. The application process began on January 1, 2017 and last date to submit the application form is March 31, 2017. 

An all India common entrance examination, CLAT conducted on rotational basis by 18 National Law Universities (NLUs) for admissions to their UG and PG degree programmes. This year, the national level entrance exam will be held on May 14, 2017.

The tenth CLAT, aka CLATY-2017 will be conducted by Chanakya National Law University Patna. In 2016, the exam was organised by the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab.

Educational qualification 
 

UG programmes: To be eligible for the exam, interested candidates must have passed class 12 or its equivalent examination from a recognised board. The students should score minimum 45 per cent marks, 40 per cent in case of SC and ST candidates. Students appearing for the board exams this year can also apply.

PG programmes: Candidates must have completed a five-year integrated LLB programme or its equivalent degree from a recognised university as prescribed by the participating universities. The candidates should score a minimum of 55 per cent marks. For SC and ST candidates, it is 50 per cent.

CLAT online application processing system (CAPS)
 

Interested and eligible candidates can apply for CLAT-2017 online. They are advised to read the instructions carefully before filling in the online application form. 

According to the official website, candidates have to interact through the CLAT online application processing system (CAPS) interface. Candidate can register and apply for CLAT-2017 examination, check the status of the application, download the admit card, know the result and they can also download the result and score card through the online interface. With this interface, an applicant can: 
 

1. Register using Register Yourself tab 

2. Fill the online application form 

3. Upload photograph and signature and other documents, if any, in the appropriate place 

4. Pay the application fee online (Net Banking/Credit Card/Debit Card) 

5. Download admit card 

6. Download previous year question papers. (After the payment of requisite fee of ? 400/-) 

7. View marks and CLAT rank

The login to this interface is through your Registered ID and Password. The Candidates are advised to keep this information safe and not disclose it to anyone. 

Application fees
 

For general, OBC, specially-abled persons and other categories, the application fee is Rs 4,000 for. The fee for SC and ST category candidates is Rs 3,500. Candidates can pay the fees done through debit/credit card and net banking.

About CLAT-2017
 

CLAT is a non-statutory body created under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the convenience of the students seeking admission to various National Law Universities in the country. An entrance test is conducted to provide a list of candidates on the basis of ‘merit-cum-preference’ to each University for admission to their Under-Graduate (UG)/ Post-Graduate (PG) programmes, as per the eligibility, reservation and other criteria laid down under the respective statutes of the participating Universities.

The first CLAT core committee consisting of vice-chancellors of seven participating NLUs decided that a Common Entrance Test will be conducted by all the participating Universities on rotational basis in the order of their year of establishment. Accordingly, the first Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) was conducted in the year 2008. 

Presently there are 18 NLUs participating in CLAT and following the policy of rotation. The 18 participating NLUs in the order of their year of establishment are:
 

1. National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru

2. National Academy of Legal Study and Research (NALSAR) University of Law, Hyderabad

3. National Law Institute University (NLIU), Bhopal

4. West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), Kolkata

5. National Law University (NLU), Jodhpur 

6. Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU), Raipur.

7. Gujarat National Law University (GNLU), Gandhinagar

8. Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University (RMLNLU), Lucknow

9. Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL), Punjab

10. Chanakya National Law University (CNLU), Patna

11. National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS), Kochi

12. National Law University Odisha (NLUO), Cuttack

13. National University of Study and Research in Law (NUSRL), Ranchi

14. National Law University and Judicial Academy (NLUJA), Assam

15. Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University (DSNLU), Visakhapatnam

16. Tamil Nadu National Law School (TNNLS), Tiruchirappalli

17. Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU), Mumbai

18. Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU), Nagpur