The Supreme Court has directed that visually impaired candidates appearing for future editions of CLAT-PG must be provided with assistive facilities, including the JAWS screen reader, customised keyboards, and the option to type answers on a Word document. Candidates may also use a scribe, in line with government guidelines.
A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi clarified that the interim directions earlier issued for visually impaired candidates in the All India Bar Exam (AIBE) will now apply to CLAT as well.
The Court also noted that the fresh guidelines issued on 1 August 2025 must be followed by both the Bar Council of India (BCI) and the CLAT Consortium. These guidelines include:
- Allowing screen readers (JAWS/NVDA).
- Permission to use personal/customised keyboards and mice.
- Software installation allowed a day before the exam.
- Candidates may answer on computers or through scribes.
- Scribes must not belong to law/humanities and must have one step lower qualification, as per 2018 Govt. of India norms.
The petition was filed by visually impaired law students seeking equal opportunity in appearing for CLAT-PG and AIBE. The matter will be taken up again on 13 November 2025.
Case: Yash Dodani & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors., Writ Petition (Civil) No. 785/2024
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