CLAT 2019 Results are out and after an easy paper it all boils down to ranks as they are the deciding factor and which acts as a bridge between the aspirants and NLUs. As we all know that the counselling process consists of three rounds i.e. for allocation of seats with regard to the ranks.
PREFERENCE LIST: A GAME CHANGER
Just like the batting order in cricket match plays an important role in framing the innings, same goes for the preference list in the CLAT examination. Aspirants are asked to fill up preferences during the form filling session and out of those preferences, they are allotted seats after their ranks come out. Thus, filling up of preferences need proper attention as it will eventually decide your University. People blindly follow the preference list provided by their coaching institutes but that list can be modified according to your needs. For Example: Anuj lives in Bhopal in wish to study in NLIU Bhopal but the preference list provided by his coaching institute keeps NLU Jodhpur above NLIU Bhopal, so accordingly as Anuj wants to study in NLIU Bhopal he can keep it above NLU Jodhpur in his preference list as both the colleges are quite identical. So the bottom line is that believe in the preference list provided by your coaching institutes but with a pinch of salt as per your needs. Considering you made a mistake while filling up your preference list and CLAT CONSORTIUM closes its admission. You still stand a chance to make it to your dream college by the means of vacancy.
VACANCY: A BLESSING IN DISGUISE
CLAT CONSORTIUM closes its admission after the third list is published and then the respective National Law Universities publish notice regarding vacant seats in their official website. Vacant seats are the seats which are not filled even after the third list or the one who was selected withdrew from the university due to some reasons. Mostly people withdraw when they don’t like the atmosphere in the university or they themselves get upgraded through vacant seats in a higher ranked university. This process takes place usually in the first week of July and goes on till August.
PROCEDURE: A BIG QUESTION
Most of the aspirants don’t know about vacant seats and the procedure for it. Due to which they miss out their fair chances of studying in National Law Universities.
But no worries we got it all covered.
- First and the foremost thing to be done is to frequently visit the official websites of respective National Law Universities,
- Some universities have a rank bar as a criteria to fill forms for vacant seat in that respective University,
- Fill the form only if you fall within the criteria prescribed by a given university,
- Fill the form with due care and diligence, don’t miss out on any important information.
We all know that there’s no escaping the fact that most of the National law Universities charge fees for filling forms. Provided is a chart prepared according to the trends of expenses charged by National Law Universities for vacant Seats.
| NAME OF UNIVERSITY | FEES( in rupees) |
| MNLU, Mumbai |
1000 |
| HNLU, Raipur | 1000 |
| NLUO, Cuttack | 1000 |
| NUSRL, Ranchi | 500 |
| NLUJA, Assam | 500 |
| MNLU, Aurangabad | 500 |
NOTE: NLSIU Bangalore, NALSAR Hyderabad, NLU Jodhpur, NLIU Bhopal, GNLU Gandhinagar, RMLNLU Lucknow, RGNUL Punjab, MNLU Nagpur, CNLU Patna, DSNLU Visakhapatnam, NUALS Kochi, TNNLU Tiruchirappalli are the ones that don’t charge any fees for filling the forms for Vacant Seats.
Ranks are often considered as the most important factor in this exam as ranks prevail over marks in vacancy. Candidates are allotted a seat on the basis of your ranks. For Example: In CLAT 2018, Vihaan scored 96 marks and his rank was 3487, he then wrote CLAT 2019, scored 96 marks and his rank is 12924. Now we clearly see the difference between marks and ranks as the difficulty level of paper changes every year same goes with marks and ranks. But ranks give us a proper idea so as to which university a candidate will be allotted.
The number of vacant seats varies every year. Here is a chart for better understanding, which is purely based on the data of year 2018. The data of this chart may deviate a bit in this year.
| NAME
OF UNIVERSITY |
NO. OF VACANT SEATS
(ALL CATEGORIES) |
RANKS OF VACANCY (CLOSING RANKS) |
| HNLU, Raipur | 23 | 1500 |
| RMLNLU, Lucknow | 11 | 1000 |
| MNLU, Mumbai | 12 | 900 |
| RGNUL, Punjab | 8-10 | 1300 |
| NLUO, Cuttack | 43 | 1600 |
| CNLU, Patna | 15-20 | 2000 |
| MNLU, Nagpur | 57 | 2500 |
| NUSRL, Ranchi | 33 | 3200 |
| DSNLU, Visakhapatnam | 30 | 3500 |
| NLUJA, Assam | 25-30 | 3500 |
| TNNLU, Trichy | 30-35 | 3500 |
| DNLU, Jabalpur | – | 4500 |
| MNLU, Aurangabad | 15-20 | 5000 |
| HPNLU, Shimla | – | 5000 |
The number of vacant seats varies every year. Here is a chart for better understanding, which is purely based on the data of year 2018. The data of this chart may deviate a bit in this year.
NOTE: The top universities like NLSIU Bangalore, NALSAR Hyderabad, NUJS Kolkata, NLU Jodhpur, NLIU Bhopal and GNLU Gandhinagar are the ones, in which availability of vacant seats is very rare. Hence, they are excluded from the above chart.
The above photos are the specimen of the notice that comes in the respective sites of different universities regarding the information of vacancy.
HOW TO CHOOSE A COLLEGE: END GAME
Nowadays National Law Universities are considered at par with IITs and IIMs, which is because CLAT is a highly competitive exam and only the top 3-5% stand a chance to study at a National law University. Approximately 60,000 candidates appear for CLAT exam every year and the total no. of seats is 2508, thus making it difficult to crack. Keeping this in mind one should choose NLUs wisely. Here are some parameters which would help a candidate in choosing the right NLU:
- ALUMNI BASE: Older institutes have handled more college students. This increases alumni base & affords higher probabilities of networking.
- FACULTY & PLACEMENTS: Location plays a major role in attracting better internships & placements and are capable of inviting visiting faculties with hands-on experience.
- INFRASTRUCTURE: Generally NLUs have a tendency to have better infrastructure than most law schools, but the NLUs which are in their nascent state work from temporary campuses which can be problematic for students as they have to face problems concerned with bare necessities. Infrastructure is an important factor for choosing a right NLU.
- STANDARD OF LIFE: Generally NLU’s are a blend of work and fun as fests, competitions etc, frequently take place. The crowd also makes a difference as they are the ones who will help you when you will be in need of an advice or guidance. Five years should not be entirely about studies. Students should have a better social life and a lot of fun during their college days
- BATCH POTENTIAL: Better ranked college students prefer to have a look at in top institutes. Wide rank variety is not desirable. Peer stress isn’t always created within the batch. Better students do not push themselves and those who can’t cope are ignored. NLUs with better ranks are likely to carry out in a more uniform way.
- ACADEMICS: Most of the NLUs follow the semester system unlike NLSIU Bangalore and NLIU Bhopal that follow trimester system. Mooting culture and other co-curricular activities should be kept in mind while choosing a NLU.
The procedure of vacancy is very easy as such but due to lack of knowledge, the candidates do not get the seat that they deserve in a better college. The game is very simple, after completing the procedure, two things that will take you to a better deserving place are- AWARENESS and PATIENCE.
It is said, “THE LONGER WE WAIT, THE BETTER WE GET”
By- Ashutosh Gautam