NLSIU Bangalore has 38% women, NLU Delhi 43% – only 3 of 26 NLUs reach gender parity, shows NIRF data

National Law University campuses are still male-dominated spaces, reveals data from the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). Women have constituted under 50% of the roll-strength in the five-year LLB programme – flagship of the NLU system – over the last six years.

National Law University Cuttack, Odisha; NLU and Judicial Academy at Kamrup, Assam; and National Law University, Nagpur were the only three where women’s participation crossed 50% in 2023-24. NLU Cuttack’s was 51%; NLU Assam’s 52% and at Nagpur, 54%.

This is despite the fact that most national law schools provide 30% horizontal reservation for women.

Also, the number of women appearing for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) has been increasing. About 57% of candidates to appear in CLAT 2026 were female and 43% male. The topper was also a woman, but the share of female candidates in the top 100 was about 36%.

There are 26 NLUs but not all are in the top 100 in NIRF.

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NLSIU Bangalore: Under 40% women

National Law School of India University, Bangalore, is the top law school in the country, ranked at No. 1 on the NIRF, and under 40% of its students are women.

In the last six years, from the 2018-19 to 2023-24 academic sessions, the highest percentage was 39% in 2022-23.

Source: NIRF data

At the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata, women’s strength increased from 33% to 46% – a 13 point jump – in 2023-24. Meanwhile at some, like NLUs Gujarat and Bhopal, their share has fallen.

At National Academy of Legal Studies and Research University of Law (NALSAR), Hyderabad, women’s presence has been at 46% from 2022-23. However, this is an improvement over the 40% women’s presence it had in 2018-19.

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Established more recently, in 2014, NLU Nagpur in Maharashtra has done better than the older NLUs. 53% of its students were women in 2022-23 and their share grew to 54% the next year.

Former Chief Justice of India, NV Ramana had even called for 50% reservation for women in law colleges and judiciary in 2021. India Today reported him as saying that women constitute just 30% of the staff in lower courts and 11-12% in High Court and Supreme Court.

“Looking at CLAT numbers, it’s easy to assume that gender balance at NLUs has largely been achieved. Women constitute a majority of the applicants. Yet, inside the classrooms of flagship five-year courses, that balance still feels uneven,” said Pragya Chettri, in the first year of the five-year LLB at NLSIU Bangalore.

“The top CLAT ranks, which open doors to the most sought-after NLUs, continue to be dominated by male candidates. But there are quieter factors at play too, access to costly coaching, family expectations, and everyday campus cultures that can make women feel more scrutinised or less certain of belonging. The same is also backed by several reports and studies that show that nearly one-fourth of students have witnessed or experienced discriminatory remarks, often directed at women,” she said.

However, Chettri is hopeful that with several NLUs introducing women-specific reservations and diversity measures, gender inclusivity would be achieved. Several NLU's have implemented measures like menstural leave policy for students.

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NLU Delhi numbers improving

NLU Delhi, ranked just below NLSIU Bangalore, had 43% women students in 2023-24. GS Bajpai, vice-chancellor, NLU Delhi, said that admissions data have been encouraging.

“The NIRF data reflects the overall student strength on campus during an academic year, aggregated over a five-year period. However, admission data for the first year of the undergraduate programme at NLU Delhi over the last four academic years indicates a progressive increase in women’s representation. Notably, in the Academic Year 2025–26, 56.7% of the admitted students were female, reflecting a positive trend towards gender balance,” he explained.

“These figures demonstrate near-parity and in recent years, higher female representation has already been achieved at the admission level, which will naturally reflect in overall campus strength over time,” said Bajpai.

The institute has also implemented 30% horizontal reservation for women. Bajpai attributed the strides NLU Delhi has made “in improving women’s participation and ensuring a more balanced gender composition in recent admission cycles” to this policy.

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Women in CLAT 2026, universities

On a more positive note, the number of women opting to appear for CLAT, the entrance for admission to law schools, is rising.

In CLAT 2026, 57% of candidates were female, 43% male and nine were transgender. In CLAT 2025, too, women’s participation stood at 57%, one percentage point higher than the 2024 level.

Plus, universities offering five-year law programmes have done better with women’s representation than the NLUs.

At Jamia Millia Islamia, the eighth best in law in 2025, women made 54% of the roll-strength in 2023-24. It is an increase from 51% in 2022-23.

Similarly, at Siksha O Anusandhan, a state private university in Odisha, 60% of students were women; and at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), a state university in Kerala, it was 64%. CUSAT is ranked at 13 for law on the NIRF.