Supreme Court Allows Higher Qualified Scribes For Visually Impaired Candidates In AIBE & CLAT

In an important decision, the Supreme Court has allowed visually impaired candidates appearing for the All India Bar Examination (AIBE) and the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) to select scribes who have qualifications higher than 10+2.

Earlier, candidates were restricted to choosing scribes who had only completed schooling up to Class 12. This created practical difficulties, especially when suitably qualified scribes were not easily available. The petitioners approached the Court seeking a change in this rule.

A Bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice NV Anjaria, accepted the suggestions made by the petitioners. The Court clarified that visually impaired candidates are entitled to assistance from a scribe who is an undergraduate and not pursuing law or any humanities course. This means that there is no restriction on scribes having qualifications beyond 10+2, as long as they are not law graduates.

The Court observed that these suggestions are consistent with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. These guidelines aim to ensure that specially-abled candidates are given proper support to fairly participate in competitive examinations like AIBE and CLAT.

The Supreme Court directed the Bar Council of India and the Consortium of National Law Universities to implement these changes at the earliest. The authorities have been asked to formally notify the revised policy well before the next examination is conducted.

The Court also directed the respondents to file a compliance affidavit within two weeks. The matter is scheduled to be heard next on March 20, 2026.

This decision is seen as a step forward in making legal education and professional qualification exams more accessible and inclusive for persons with disabilities.