Top Indian Law Schools Despite female candidates outnumbering their male counterparts in the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) for two consecutive years, a gender gap persists in the undergraduate law programs of India’s leading law colleges. A recent analysis of the top 30 law colleges, according to the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), reveals that many of these institutions have less than 50% female students in their classrooms.

CLAT 2023 and 2024 Highlights:

CLAT 2023 witnessed 56% female candidates, and CLAT 2024 saw an increase with 57%.

Gender Disparity in Top 30 Law Colleges:

19 out of 28 colleges offering undergraduate law programs have less than 50% female students.
10 out of 29 colleges offering postgraduate law courses also exhibit gender imbalance.
Top 30 colleges have 23,748 UG and PG students, with 12,005 male and 11,743 female students.

NIRF Data Snapshot:

Undergraduate Law Programs:

Institute	% Female
NLSIU Bengaluru	36
NLU Delhi	39
NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad	43.4
WBNUJS, Kolkata	37
Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi	51.4
Symbiosis Law School, Pune	56.2
Gujarat NLU, Gandhinagar	43.2
Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan, Bhubaneswar	57
IIT, Kharagpur	36.7
Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai	48.5
Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar	55
Christ University, Bengaluru	45.8
AMU, Aligarh	35.7
SASTRA, Thanjavur	66.7
LPU, Phagwara	54.8
NLIU, Bhopal	49.6
GGSIPU, New Delhi	42.2
RGNUL, Patiala	77.5
RMLNLU, Lucknow	39.9
BHU, Varanasi	28.8
Amity University Haryana, Gurgaon	39.9
NUSRL, Ranchi	45.4
Alliance University, Bengaluru	49.5
Army Institute of Law, Mohali	63.5
Nirma University, Ahmedabad	52.6
NLUJAA, Kamrup	43.7
Manipal University, Jaipur	48.4
NLU, Cuttack	46.4

Postgraduate Law Programs:

Institute	% Female
NLSIU, Bengaluru	54
NLU, Delhi	40.7
NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad	58.9
WBNUJS, Kolkata	40.2
Jamia Millia Islamia,New Delhi	51.5
Symbiosis Law School, Pune	67.5
Gujarat NLU, Gandhinagar	59.4
Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan, Bhubaneswar	53.4
IIT, Kharagpur	61.7
Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow	57.8
Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai	53.4
Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar	74.5
Christ University, Bengaluru	71
AMU, Aligarh	43.4
LPU, Phagwara	80
ILI, New Delhi	34.6
NLIU, Bhopal	41.7
GGSIPU, New Delhi	52.2
RGNUL, Patiala	60
RMLNLU, Lucknow	42.8
BHU, Varanasi	34.3
Amity University Haryana, Gurgaon	45.8
NUSRL, Ranchi	58.9
Alliance University, Bengaluru	70
Army Institute of Law, Mohali	53.4
Nirma University, Ahmedabad	73.3
NLUJAA, Kamrup	41.9
Manipal University Jaipur	65
NLU, Cuttack	46

Insights and Perspectives:

Gender biases and safety concerns contribute to the gender gap.
Representation of women in law colleges is improving, with more aspiring to pursue law careers.
Initiatives like fixed seats for women, support from law colleges, and demand for female judges in relevant cases may boost female enrollment.

Student Perspectives:

A final-year LLB student at Chandigarh University expressed the need for more support from law colleges and highlighted incidents of gender bias in project assignments and moot court opportunities.

Conclusion:

While the gender gap persists in top law schools, there is a positive trend of increasing female representation. With continued efforts, support, and awareness, the legal education landscape is expected to become more inclusive.

Note: The institutions have been listed based on their ranks in the NIRF.