Delhi HC Quashes NHAI’s CLAT-Based Lawyer Recruitment Rule

The Delhi High Court has struck down a notification issued by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) that made CLAT Post Graduate (PG) exam scores from 2022 onwards a key factor in the recruitment of lawyers.

A Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela quashed the notification, which was issued on August 11, 2025. The Court had earlier stayed its operation while reserving the final verdict.

The case was brought by advocate Shannu Baghel, who argued that CLAT PG scores were introduced only to test eligibility for higher legal studies, not for jobs. Baghel contended that restricting recruitment to candidates who appeared in CLAT PG from 2022 onwards was arbitrary, unfair, and violated Article 16 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality of opportunity in public employment.

The petition also highlighted that such a rule excluded many eligible candidates, including fresh graduates, practicing lawyers, and those who took CLAT PG before 2022.

NHAI defended the notification, stating that CLAT scores were not the only criterion, and that professional experience in arbitration and personal interviews would also be considered. However, the Court was not convinced.

During the hearings, Chief Justice Upadhyaya remarked, “How can this exam be treated as a qualification? LLB is the eligibility. This is public employment, and such a provision hits Article 16.”

With this judgment, NHAI will have to revise its selection process for the 44 Young Professional (Legal) posts it had announced earlier.