It is important to take the test seriously.

With a little bit of planning and

seriousness, you can easily make your dream come true. You have to
concentrate on your study without again & again thinking of getting into
the top ranks. It is better to concentrate on your preparation rather than
focusing on the likely result.
Daydreaming and wishful thinking can hardly lead to success. At the same time,
concentrating too much on the negative aspect of your results is bound to affect
your performance. Psychologically, you should have a very positive and
confident approach while preparing for the test.
Ø Good beginning
Delay in preparation may breed frustration considering the fact that it takes time
to understand what the assessors exactly expect from you as a potential Law
entrant. Once you have gone through the objectives carefully you can very well
deal with the syllabus of the Test.
Ø Three essentials
The right guidance, a reasonable level of intelligence and proper planning of time
are the three essentials for success. Inspiration is one of the indispensable,
whether it comes from one’s parents, teachers, friends or colleagues. You may
be inspired by their spectacular success in their career. You may even feel
inspired by resolving to meet the expectations of your parents or a near or dear
one. Inspiration exhorts you to do hard work whenever you get tired or frustrated.
It also encouraged you to keep aside tiredness or fatigue and work towards
achieving your goal.
Ø Consistency
There is no need at all to go at war footing so far your preparation is concerned.
Instead a regular study from the beginning will suffice. However, just before the
commencement of the Test, you need to devote some more time depending on
your knowledge and understanding of the topics. Continuous study stretching
over too long hours at one go, may not prove as useful as studying with little
breaks in every two to three hours but regularity is a must.
Ø Adhere to study schedule
Time is perhaps one of the most crucial factors for such serious preparation. You
may plan a time table for each day to cover your subjects. You have to devote as
much time as you feel necessary to achieve your goal. Whatever time schedule
you fix up, you must adhere to it in a disciplined manner. There is literally no
substitute to regular study.
Ø Plan your way
Planning toward a right direction would be of immense help in this regard. Your
planning should take into consideration of your strong and weak points. You must
know in which papers you have a strong base and which are the areas where
you need to study hard. Good planning really implies maximum results with the
minimum of efforts. And effective planning means that you work out your own
mechanism for checking whether you are spending your time effectively or not.
Ø Hard work has no alternative
There are no prescriptions for guaranteed success in exams. But you must put in
hard labour. If experience of a topper is any guide, “Hard work, a devotion to the
goal one has set for oneself and systematic study can take you to your desired
goal.”
Ø Concentration
Concentration is absolutely essential for study and better performance in exams.
The ability to concentrate is partly a natural gift and partly a matter of training and
practice. Congenial atmosphere for study is very necessary. An environment
which is free from disturbance like a library is a good place for study.
Ø Positive vision
You should always be enthusiastic and optimistic of your sure success. Of
course, that asks for being confident. Never doubt your potential because what a
man has already done, a man can also do. Always keep in mind, dedication and
determination are necessary ingredients of success.
Ø Develop your own strategy
It is said that man is the best master of himself. No one can understand you
better than you. You can take suggestions as well as criticism to apply these
constructively, but these are never binding on you. Rely on your own method of
study believing that this is the only right method. For example, if you like to study
silently, do accordingly. If you prefer a particular spot for your study, it is better to
sit there. Also, you may develop habit of reading fast.
Ø Studying together
Study with a fellow or a group of friends who are also preparing for the same test.
Regular discussions with such friends are very helpful. This way you not only
revise what you have studied but also learn many points which you might not
have covered or did not know. Such a company happens to be of supplementing
nature to each other. Besides, it makes your study more interesting and
competitive.
Ø Selective & reflective study
Your study should be quality based not quantity based. You should not lay
emphasis on just reading more and more books, magazines and journals but
reflect on your subject and try to master it. You should develop your rational
faculty to assimilate relevant information and analyse problems dispassionately.
Your reading must be purposeful. Distinguishing between the important and the
irrelevant reading material, you must keep in mind what is useful from the
Examination point of view.
Ø Revise once in a week
Periodical analysis of what you have studied and its consolidation is necessary. It
will make you realize your weaknesses and your strengths. Without this
periodical stop-over, you will keep on learning and you may forget what you piled
up in your mind earlier.
Ø Developing interest
You must develop habit to take interest in subjects and fields that could be
helpful in getting through this examination. You must increase your general
knowledge by whatever method you like.
Ø Last few hours before the Test
It is better to start revision early and be prepared to bear the pressure you may
have to face in the examination hall. This will give you an opportunity to
overcome the difficulties you may encounter in the examination hall.
Ø While attempting the Question Paper
To being with, have a positive approach. Be confident that you are well prepared
to answer the questions.
Follow the golden principle of Simple to Complex i.e. taking up questions that are
easy to solve and then go to difficult ones. Glance through all questions quickly
and mark the easy ones. Then proceed to answer these questions first. It will
save time and also build up your confidence. Now you can proceed to take up
the difficult ones and you will get more time to solve these questions.
Try to read each question carefully and also the given alternatives/answers.
Many a times all alternatives appear correct. You need not get confused. Ponder
over a while and you will hit the nail i.e. solve it. Read, think and then proceed to
attempt the question.
Remember, time is really precious. Try to manage within the specified time
properly. More often than not, many candidates waste time in the beginning and
then find it hard to complete the paper satisfactorily within a short time. Such a
waste results in waste. Try to maintain even speed and save time for revision
also.
Follow the directions stipulated in the question paper. Mark the answer clearly,
darkening the circles properly, wherever needed.
What is a Tort?

A tort is nothing but a ‘twisted action’. It is a civil wrong. When a person commits a
wrong of civil nature like causing nuisance to a neighbour or being negligent in his action
it is called a ‘tort’.

There are two schools of thought. Some people are of the view that it is the Law of Torts,
there being a specific body of wrongs and you need to fit in your own tort into one of
them. The counter view runs such that it is the Law of Tort and there are necessary
ingredients to the commission of a tort and once fulfilled, you have a tort.

When is a tort committed?

When a legal injury is caused to a person, a tort is said to have been committed. It is
assumed that every person owes a general duty of care to his neighbour. By ‘neighbour’
we do not mean the hot girl next door but it is any person who can be affected by your
acts. When this duty of care is breached then a tort or a civil wrong is committed. For
example, Sandipan and Aymen are neighbours. If Sandipan starts playing loud music in
the middle of the night such that it creates nuisance and Aymen is disturbed then the
latter’s legal right is injured and there lies a cause of action against Sandipan.

What you need to remember:

Two principles:

Injuria sine damno.

This Latin principle means there has been legal injury (“injuria”) but no actual damage
has been caused.

Example : In the famous case of Ashby v. White a listed voter was not allowed to cast his
vote by the polling officer. The voter’s candidate of choice ultimately won the election.
So no actual damage was caused but there was a violation of the person’s legal right to
vote. This is injuria or legal injury even though no actual damage has been caused. This is
a tort and the aggrieved party has a right of action in tort law.

Damnum sine injuria

This means that there has been damage but no legal injury has been committed so no
action lies in tort law.

Example : In the Gloucester Grammar School case there was an established school in the
locality. A new school was set up which charged lower fees on account of which people
started patronising the new school. The old school filed a case against the latter saying
that they had caused them financial loss and claimed compensation. The court held that
no legal right had been violated and as such no compensation can be granted. Thus if
damage is caused which does not lead to violation of a legal right then no action lies
under tort law.

Other terms to remember:

Plaintiff and Defendant:

In tort law the two parties in a case are known as plaintiff and defendant. Plaintiff is the
aggrieved party who files the suit claiming some legal injury being done to him.
Defendant is the person who is alleged to have committed the tort.

Tortfeasor:

The person who commits a tort, i.e. a civil wrong is said to be a tort-feasor. When two or
more persons jointly commit a civil wrong they are called ‘joint tort-feasors’.

Coming up in the next article: Major torts and general defences.

As you all know, CLAT’s paper is divided into 5 sections. However, no one can ever be
sure of what kind of questions one will have to face. In CLAT 2008, the system of
differential marking was used by NLSIU, where each Legal Reasoning question carried 3
marks while each General Knowledge question was given half a mark. In CLAT 2009, on
the other hand, every question had one mark and surprisingly, there was no sign of Legal
Reasoning. Further, in 2010, the Legal Reasoning questions were put up in the Logical
Reasoning section and the Maths section was unhinged.

This is what we “think” it is, based on reliable sources and the statements that are coming
from NUJS and the CLAT Organizing committee. While the sources are reliable, you
shouldn’t take this as the basis of how you intend to prepare.

General Knowledge

Unlike CLAT 2010, the paper will have almost all the questions based on the Current
Affairs. Static GK might be asked if it is in the news nowadays. For example, something
about Babri Masjid’s history might come as it’s pretty much talked about in the news. So,
make sure you stay updated with what’s happening around and do follow the Current
Affairs Compendiums which are put up weekly on CLATGyan.

A note for those who have been frantically roaming around, tensed and worried that
they’ve been concentrating only on Static and not on Current: No worries. You’ve done a
good thing, static CAN NOT be completely absent, and it is necessary that you do have
your basics with you. In my opinion, the important Current Affairs comes from August
onwards. We will try and bring you compendiums of current affairs starting January 2010
if possible, but don’t worry much about the “older” months. One yearbook or a few good
Pratiyogita Darpan year-roundup issues should be help you out.
GK requires you to stay calm and determined. Nothing that you study is unimportant,
everything shall be put to use, if not in your test papers, then at least in Law School.

Logical Reasoning

This, without any incertitude, will be the make or break section. In 2011, the whole
section will emphasize on Critical Reasoning rather than Analytical Reasoning. It can
also be said that this will be the section where you will have to use your mind the most.
Also, this section will contain the lengthiest questions of the paper.

Legal Aptitude

NUJS, who is conducting CLAT 2011, wants people who can THINK and have great
reasoning abilities. Hence, we do not expect any Legal GK question in this edition of
CLAT. It will be like NLU Delhi’s 2010 Paper, in which the whole Legal Aptitude
section had Legal Reasoning Questions. However, there might be some reasoning
questions with one word answers like : In Ram v. Shyam, Ram can never be what? …
The options were defendant, plaintiff, prosecutor and complainant. (Defendant was the
correct answer and this question was asked in CLAT 2010).

So, do as many Reasoning Questions as you can and beat the greatest enemy of yours…
the time! (same applies with Logic section)

English

Getting the same “test of reasoning” thingy, this section will focus on Reading
Comprehension/Passages and Grammar. There will be no vocabulary at all. You need not
worry about mugging up words and scratching your head when you forget them. Even
here, the same rule applies… the more you practice, the much better.

Maths

First of all, do not expect Factors, Square roots or Prime numbers. CLAT 2010 is a very
bad example of CLAT’s maths. NUJS has a reputation of having a good standard of
maths and you shall see, they will keep it up. However, Solving a question will not be a
huge task. But, solving it without taking much time will be the key.

And Finally, I would like to end this with three advices. Firstly, Practice as much as you
can and never ever even think of stopping it. Secondly, this is CLATGyan’s theory of
CLAT 2011 and not an official one. So, dont blame us if something we said will not
come, comes. Thirdly, this does not apply to any other entrance exams like SET, NLU O
or NLU D.