Implemented Karnataka Student Reservation In The University 'In Letter And In Spirit': NLSIU, Bangalore

The National Law School of India University (NLSIU) has issued a Press Release on Admission of Karnataka students to the University, and has claimed that it has 'implemented the Karnataka Student reservation in letter and spirit'.

Through an amendment of the National Law School of India Act, 1986, vide the Amendment Act, 2020, it had been proposed that there would be horizontal reservation of 25% of the seats in the University for Karnataka students; ie, a student who "has studied in any on of the recognized educational institutions in the State for a period of not less than 10 years in the preceding qualifying examination".

This was however struck down by the Karnataka High Court, in Master Balachandar Krishnan v. State of Karnataka & Ors.

While the Special Leave Petition filed against the same was pending before the Apex Court, the University had adopted the 'NLSIU Inclusion and Expansion Plan 2021-25' on 17th April 2021, whereby it had virtually adopted a 25% horizontal compartmentalized reservation for Karnataka students from the Academic Year 2021-22. Through this, NLSIU ensures that Karnataka students are admitted to 25% seats in every vertical category, including the General/SC/ST/OBC/EWS categories, and thereby constitute 25% of the overall student body.

Following this pattern, the University has pointed out that it admitted 30 Karnataka students out of 120 in the B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) Batch and 13 Karnataka students of 50 in the LL.M. Batch in 2021-22; 44 of 180 in the B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) and 14 of 52 in the LL.B. (Hons.) and 20 of 75 in the LL.M. Batches in 2022-23; and 60 out of 240 in the B.A. LL.B. (Hons.), 30 of 120 in the LL.B. (Hons.) and 25 of 100 in the LL.M. Batches in 2023-24.

It has therefore been proposed that for the Academic Year 2024-25, the number of Karnataka students admitted to the University is projected to increase to 135 with increase in the overall intake, as well.

The University has also proposed that the minimum number of Karnataka students studying at the University would also increase to around 500 for the various law programmes.