Membership of CLAT 2015 ‘expert panel’ is top-secret, immune to RTI, claims RMLNLU

Membership of CLAT 2015 ‘expert panel’ is top-secret, immune to RTI, claims RMLNLU

The article highlights significant transparency failures in the administration of the CLAT 2015, where the convenor withheld expert panel identities and key procedural details despite public allegations of widespread exam errors. This lack of openness undermined accountability, as the convenor prioritized protecting panel members from stakeholder contact over adhering to the spirit of open inquiry. The subsequent rejection of an RTI request for names further obscured the decision-making process, raising serious questions about institutional integrity. Furthermore, the concealment of the second expert panel’s formation and its findings demonstrates a systemic refusal to maintain an accessible public record. By failing to notify the website of the panel’s creation or its conclusion, authorities prevented stakeholders from verifying claims that the exam contained numerous mistakes. This opacity was particularly egregious given that the presiding judge in the related litigation observed clear errors in the paper, contradicting the closed-panel reports submitted in sealed covers to the court. This case is relevant to open data because it illustrates the critical need for proactive disclosure in high-stakes public examinations. When institutions withhold basic information about processes and outcomes, they erode public trust and hinder independent verification. The incident serves as a stark reminder that true transparency requires more than just releasing data; it demands accessible, timely, and comprehensive information that allows for meaningful public scrutiny and accountability.

Source: legallyindia.com
Published on 2026-10-21