Law
Jun 24, 2026
CLAT 2027: Consortium of NLUs to Introduce New Regional Language Options
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Priyanka Das
Jun 24, 2026
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The Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) has announced a transformative change for the CLAT 2027 examination cycle. In an effort to make legal education more inclusive and aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the entrance exam will now be available in Marathi, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada, and Odia, in addition to English. This decision comes after years of deliberation and legal petitions seeking to remove the linguistic barrier that often disadvantaged students from non-English medium backgrounds.
The President of the Consortium, Professor Sudhir Krishnaswamy, explained that while the question paper will be translated, the core syllabus and the difficulty level will remain identical across all languages. 'The legal profession in India operates in a multilingual environment at the district and high court levels. By allowing students to take the entrance exam in their mother tongue, we are opening the doors of national law schools to a much wider and more diverse talent pool,' he stated. The Consortium has already begun the process of identifying expert translators and legal scholars to ensure the accuracy of the translated papers.
This move has sparked a debate within the legal community. While many welcome the inclusivity, some raise concerns about the availability of study materials and the medium of instruction within the NLUs themselves. To address this, the Consortium has clarified that while the entrance test can be taken in a regional language, the medium of instruction in the five-year LL.B. programs will continue to be English for the time being. However, bridge courses in English will be provided to students who enter through the regional language medium to ensure they are at par with their peers by the end of the first year.
For students preparing for CLAT 2027, the first set of bilingual mock tests will be released on the official website by December 2026. Experts suggest that aspirants should continue to focus on their logical reasoning and legal aptitude, as these core competencies remain the focus of the exam. 'The change in language is a medium, not a change in the content of the test,' says Priyanka Das, a legal entrance coach. 'Students should not get complacent; they still need to master the art of quick reading and critical analysis.' The registration for CLAT 2027 is expected to begin in July 2026, giving students ample time to choose their preferred language of examination.
The President of the Consortium, Professor Sudhir Krishnaswamy, explained that while the question paper will be translated, the core syllabus and the difficulty level will remain identical across all languages. 'The legal profession in India operates in a multilingual environment at the district and high court levels. By allowing students to take the entrance exam in their mother tongue, we are opening the doors of national law schools to a much wider and more diverse talent pool,' he stated. The Consortium has already begun the process of identifying expert translators and legal scholars to ensure the accuracy of the translated papers.
This move has sparked a debate within the legal community. While many welcome the inclusivity, some raise concerns about the availability of study materials and the medium of instruction within the NLUs themselves. To address this, the Consortium has clarified that while the entrance test can be taken in a regional language, the medium of instruction in the five-year LL.B. programs will continue to be English for the time being. However, bridge courses in English will be provided to students who enter through the regional language medium to ensure they are at par with their peers by the end of the first year.
For students preparing for CLAT 2027, the first set of bilingual mock tests will be released on the official website by December 2026. Experts suggest that aspirants should continue to focus on their logical reasoning and legal aptitude, as these core competencies remain the focus of the exam. 'The change in language is a medium, not a change in the content of the test,' says Priyanka Das, a legal entrance coach. 'Students should not get complacent; they still need to master the art of quick reading and critical analysis.' The registration for CLAT 2027 is expected to begin in July 2026, giving students ample time to choose their preferred language of examination.