The Supreme Court has directed that visually impaired candidates appearing in future editions of the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) must be provided with comprehensive computer-based facilities to ensure equality of opportunity, including the use of JAWS (Job Access With Speech) screen reader software, customised keyboards and mouse, and the option to type answers on a Word document on the computer. Candidates will also retain the additional option of taking assistance from a scribe in line with Government of India guidelines.

 

A Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi passed the order while hearing a plea filed by visually impaired law students who sought equal access in the CLAT-Postgraduate (2024–25) as well as the All India Bar Examination (AIBE). The Court clarified that its earlier interim directions issued in December 2024 for facilitating visually challenged candidates in the AIBE will also apply to all future editions of the CLAT examination conducted by the Consortium.

 

The Bench recorded:

 

 

The plea was filed by a group of visually impaired law graduates, including petitioner Yash Dodani, seeking directions to ensure that candidates with visual disabilities are not forced to depend solely on scribes but are given technological alternatives to attempt the exam independently.

 

On December 5, 2024, the Supreme Court had directed the Bar Council of India (BCI) to provide enabling facilities in the AIBE such as:

• Provision of JAWS and NVDA screen readers

• Permission to use personal keyboards and customised mouse

• Completion of software installation a day prior to the exam

• Option to answer questions either on a computer or through a scribe

 

On December 11, 2024, the Court expanded its directions, stating that visually impaired candidates must be allowed to use a computer to type answers if they so wished, while retaining the scribe option. Importantly, the Court clarified that scribes must not belong to a humanities or law background and must have an educational qualification one step below that of the candidate, as per the Government of India guidelines dated August 29, 2018.

 

During the present hearing, Additional Solicitor General Archana Pathak Dave informed the Court that the Government of India had already issued fresh guidelines on August 1, 2025, in compliance with its earlier directions. The Bench ordered that both the Bar Council of India (BCI) and the CLAT Consortium must strictly adhere to these guidelines going forward.

 

The case will be listed again for further consideration on November 13, 2025, to review compliance and ensure smooth implementation of the directions for upcoming examinations.