Delhi HC dismisses plea to hold DU LLB exam in Hindi

The Delhi High Court has junked a plea seeking a direction to the Delhi University to conduct the entrance examination for the LLB course in Hindi language.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar noted that a single judge and division bench have already dismissed a similar plea in 2014.

The high court in 2014 had dismissed a similar case filed by Shailendra Mani Tripathi saying that judgements are pronounced and reported primarily in English language.

“The single judge had noted Article 348 of the Constitution of India, which states that the language to be used in the Supreme Court and high courts as well as the acts and bills shall be in English. It was also opined by the single judge that if the relief as prayed was granted, it would tantamount to interfering with the autonomy of the University of Delhi.

“The Intra Court Appeal assailing the decision of the learned single judge dated May 20, 2014 stands rejected by the division bench... The above precedents on identical facts, bind the consideration by this court. We therefore find no merit in this writ petition, which is dismissed,” the court said.

The judgement came on a petition of 20-year-old Ayush Tiwari, a final-year BA student from Allahabad, who had approached the high court seeking directions that he should be allowed to take the DU LLB entrance exam in Hindi.

The petitioner said he is “desirous of studying law, however, since he has got all his education in Hindi medium, it would be unfair for him to take the entrance exam in English when on the contrary DU Law Faculty allows term examination of LLB to be taken in Hindi”.

With the Union Public Service Commission and certain central universities holding the examination in Hindi, the plea sought to conduct of entrance examination for LLB along the same lines.