Several city students who took the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) — the gateway to admissions in National Law Schools across the country — found themselves among the top 100 when the results were announced on Thursday. They attributed their success to mock tests and rigorous preparation for the competitive exam.
All these students want admission in the prestigious National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore.
Although the State government in June 2017 pivoted the Karnataka Law School of India (Amendment) Bill 2017 that aimed to get 50% reservation for students from Karnataka, the bill is yet to get the assent of the governor.
Anagha M.V., who bagged the 22nd rank, was a student of Sri Bhagawan Mahaveer Jain College. She took a break of a year to prepare for CLAT. “This is the second time I am attempting the test. Last year, I got a rank of 918, but was not satisfied. I took a break and put in all my efforts into cracking this test,” she said. She finds law fascinating as a single word can be twisted in a manner to suit one’s requirement. “How you argue is what helps you win your case,” she said adding that she wants to study at NLSIU, Bangalore.
Shashanka Tewari, a student of Delhi Public School North, bagged the 31st rank. He did not find it difficult juggling school work and CLAT preparations. “I developed an interest in law because I enjoy research-based arguments and debating,” said Tewari who participated in the Model United Nations in school. He said that enrolling for coaching classes also helped.
Karthik Rai, a student of the Vidya Mandir independent pre university college, was ranked 53. “My father is my inspiration, as he has pursued law,” said Rai, adding that he dedicated up to seven hours a day exclusively for CLAT preparation.
Hit by technical glitches
Many city students were disappointed with their Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) results. They attributed their poor scores to technical glitches at the exam centre.
One student said that the online servers crashed at the test centre in Bengaluru and that the technical team took a very long time to set things right.
“Around half-an-hour to 40 minutes were lost. Keeping our cool was a very difficult task. If there was no glitch, we would have probably performed better,” he said.
The test was conducted on May 13. This year, it was conducted by the National University of Advanced Legal Studies.
