CLAT Previous Year Question Paper - 2024 | CLAT Past Year Papers (2008-2024) PDF Download

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contents of QUestIon PaPer
subject Q. nos. Page no.
english Language 1 – 24 3 – 8
Current Affairs including General Knowledge 25 – 52 9 – 15
Legal reasoning 53 – 84 16 – 26
Logical reasoning 85 – 108 27 – 32
Quantitative techniques 109 – 120 33 – 34
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contents of QUestIon PaPer
subject Q. nos. Page no.
english Language 1 – 24 3 – 8
Current Affairs including General Knowledge 25 – 52 9 – 15
Legal reasoning 53 – 84 16 – 26
Logical reasoning 85 – 108 27 – 32
Quantitative techniques 109 – 120 33 – 34
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UG
english Language
 I. in the realm of contemporary literature, the interplay between character and setting is a 
nuanced dance that shapes the narrative’s essence. t he setting, often described with 
painstaking detail, becomes more than a backdrop; it becomes a character, influencing the 
plot and character development.
  Consider, for instance, the barren expanse of the desert in Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake. 
the arid landscape mirrors the sense of isolation felt by the protagonist, Gogol, as he 
navigates his identity crisis in a foreign land. the relentless sun and vast sands are not 
mere descriptions; they are the silent witnesses to his inner turmoil.
  On the other end of the literary spectrum, there is Arundhati roy’s The God of Small Things. 
the lush, vibrant Kerala backwaters are not just the setting; they are a character woven into 
the fabric of the story. The teeming, humid landscape reflects the complex web of human 
relationships and secrets that unravel in the narrative. This interplay is not confined to 
contemporary literature alone. in Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy Macbeth, the eerie and 
foreboding setting of the Scottish moors casts a dark shadow over the characters’ actions. 
the moors, shrouded in mist and mystery, serve as an ever-present omen of the impending 
tragedy. 
 1. in contemporary literature, how is the relationship between character and setting 
described in the passage?
 (A) it is non-existent; characters and settings are entirely separate entities.
 (B) It is a complex interplay where the setting influences the plot and character 
  development.
 (C) Characters and settings are interchangeable.
 (D) Settings are insignificant in contemporary literature.
 2. in the novel, The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, what does the barren desert landscape 
symbolize?
 (A) A thriving community.
 (b) the protagonist’s sense of isolation and identity crisis.
 (C) A lush, vibrant setting.
 (d) A happy, carefree life.
 3. What role does the Scottish moors play in Shakespeare’s Macbeth?
 (A) it serves as a beautiful, serene landscape.
 (B) It has no influence on the characters’ actions.
 (C) it is an ever-present omen of impending tragedy.
 (d) it is a place for the characters to relax.
 4. What does the term “interplay” refer to in the context of the passage?
 (A) A lack of interaction between characters and setting.
 (B) A complex relationship where the setting influences the narrative.
 (C) An insignificant connection between characters and setting.
 (d) A complete separation of characters and setting.
english language
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contents of QUestIon PaPer
subject Q. nos. Page no.
english Language 1 – 24 3 – 8
Current Affairs including General Knowledge 25 – 52 9 – 15
Legal reasoning 53 – 84 16 – 26
Logical reasoning 85 – 108 27 – 32
Quantitative techniques 109 – 120 33 – 34
*
iiiiiiiii
iiiiiiiii
iiii
iiii
 3 
*
UG
english Language
 I. in the realm of contemporary literature, the interplay between character and setting is a 
nuanced dance that shapes the narrative’s essence. t he setting, often described with 
painstaking detail, becomes more than a backdrop; it becomes a character, influencing the 
plot and character development.
  Consider, for instance, the barren expanse of the desert in Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake. 
the arid landscape mirrors the sense of isolation felt by the protagonist, Gogol, as he 
navigates his identity crisis in a foreign land. the relentless sun and vast sands are not 
mere descriptions; they are the silent witnesses to his inner turmoil.
  On the other end of the literary spectrum, there is Arundhati roy’s The God of Small Things. 
the lush, vibrant Kerala backwaters are not just the setting; they are a character woven into 
the fabric of the story. The teeming, humid landscape reflects the complex web of human 
relationships and secrets that unravel in the narrative. This interplay is not confined to 
contemporary literature alone. in Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy Macbeth, the eerie and 
foreboding setting of the Scottish moors casts a dark shadow over the characters’ actions. 
the moors, shrouded in mist and mystery, serve as an ever-present omen of the impending 
tragedy. 
 1. in contemporary literature, how is the relationship between character and setting 
described in the passage?
 (A) it is non-existent; characters and settings are entirely separate entities.
 (B) It is a complex interplay where the setting influences the plot and character 
  development.
 (C) Characters and settings are interchangeable.
 (D) Settings are insignificant in contemporary literature.
 2. in the novel, The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, what does the barren desert landscape 
symbolize?
 (A) A thriving community.
 (b) the protagonist’s sense of isolation and identity crisis.
 (C) A lush, vibrant setting.
 (d) A happy, carefree life.
 3. What role does the Scottish moors play in Shakespeare’s Macbeth?
 (A) it serves as a beautiful, serene landscape.
 (B) It has no influence on the characters’ actions.
 (C) it is an ever-present omen of impending tragedy.
 (d) it is a place for the characters to relax.
 4. What does the term “interplay” refer to in the context of the passage?
 (A) A lack of interaction between characters and setting.
 (B) A complex relationship where the setting influences the narrative.
 (C) An insignificant connection between characters and setting.
 (d) A complete separation of characters and setting.
english language
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 5. Which of the following words best describes the setting in The God of Small Things?
 (A) boring.   (b) Lush and vibrant.
 (C) Insignificant.   (D) Dark and foreboding.
 6. What is the main theme discussed in the passage?
 (A) The characters in contemporary literature are not influenced by their settings.
 (b) Setting in literature is unimportant.
 (C) In literature, settings can be as influential as characters in shaping the narrative.
 (d) Settings have no role in character development.
 II. the crisis of justice that is the subject matter of discussion in the media today is in fact the 
crisis of “justice for the middle class”. the main difference between india and the OeCd 
(Organisation for economic Cooperation and development) countries is that whereas the 
middle class in these countries has reasonable access to justice, in india it does not. A vocal 
and powerful middle class has emerged in india since 1991. it is demanding reasonable 
access to justice. much of the judicial reform effort will help meet this demand…
  t he question of justice for the poor is, however, an altogether different challenge. No country 
in the world has been able to secure justice for the poor. most of the jails of the richest 
countries are filled with the poorest. The “masses” are more often victims of the criminal 
justice system than of crime. In India as well, jails are almost exclusively filled with the poor. 
the civil justice system is hardly accessible to them. they are often victimised by lawyers, 
touts and court staff. they are docket-excluded, a new type of untouchability. the language 
and the logic—and the colonial and feudal culture—of the judicial system are alien to them. 
it rarely takes cognisance of their needs and interests.
  their main concern, therefore, is to escape the attention of the justice system, criminal and 
civil. A landless dalit person in the interior of madhya Pradesh once gave me an insightful 
definition of a court from the perspective of the masses: “A court is a place where you are 
forcibly taken by the police to be punished; no one goes to a court.” in contrast, many lawyers 
and judges colloquially define a court as “a temple of justice where rights are protected”.
  t hese sharply divergent visions mean that justice for one section is often injustice for 
another. Protecting the livelihood of traditional taxi and auto drivers from predatory pricing 
by corporate app-based taxi providers by imaginatively using the available tools of law to 
delay their incursion would be seen by the rich and by sections of the middle class as a 
failure of the judicial system, and possibly as also resulting in a downgrading of the “ease 
of doing business” measure. However, the masses would see such a judicial intervention 
as strong evidence of a good justice system. Although the conflict over competing visions 
of the nation and conflicting demands from social and economic segments have confined 
judicial reform of judicial administration mainly to “neutral” areas such as process reform, 
procedural law, technology, planning and court and case management, judge strength, and 
the workload of judges, there has been considerable improvement in these areas, and the 
judicial system has improved its performance.
  [extracted, with edits, from “Justice and the t wo ideas of india”, by G. mohan Gopal, 
Frontline]
Page 5


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*
 2 
UG
contents of QUestIon PaPer
subject Q. nos. Page no.
english Language 1 – 24 3 – 8
Current Affairs including General Knowledge 25 – 52 9 – 15
Legal reasoning 53 – 84 16 – 26
Logical reasoning 85 – 108 27 – 32
Quantitative techniques 109 – 120 33 – 34
*
iiiiiiiii
iiiiiiiii
iiii
iiii
 3 
*
UG
english Language
 I. in the realm of contemporary literature, the interplay between character and setting is a 
nuanced dance that shapes the narrative’s essence. t he setting, often described with 
painstaking detail, becomes more than a backdrop; it becomes a character, influencing the 
plot and character development.
  Consider, for instance, the barren expanse of the desert in Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake. 
the arid landscape mirrors the sense of isolation felt by the protagonist, Gogol, as he 
navigates his identity crisis in a foreign land. the relentless sun and vast sands are not 
mere descriptions; they are the silent witnesses to his inner turmoil.
  On the other end of the literary spectrum, there is Arundhati roy’s The God of Small Things. 
the lush, vibrant Kerala backwaters are not just the setting; they are a character woven into 
the fabric of the story. The teeming, humid landscape reflects the complex web of human 
relationships and secrets that unravel in the narrative. This interplay is not confined to 
contemporary literature alone. in Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy Macbeth, the eerie and 
foreboding setting of the Scottish moors casts a dark shadow over the characters’ actions. 
the moors, shrouded in mist and mystery, serve as an ever-present omen of the impending 
tragedy. 
 1. in contemporary literature, how is the relationship between character and setting 
described in the passage?
 (A) it is non-existent; characters and settings are entirely separate entities.
 (B) It is a complex interplay where the setting influences the plot and character 
  development.
 (C) Characters and settings are interchangeable.
 (D) Settings are insignificant in contemporary literature.
 2. in the novel, The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, what does the barren desert landscape 
symbolize?
 (A) A thriving community.
 (b) the protagonist’s sense of isolation and identity crisis.
 (C) A lush, vibrant setting.
 (d) A happy, carefree life.
 3. What role does the Scottish moors play in Shakespeare’s Macbeth?
 (A) it serves as a beautiful, serene landscape.
 (B) It has no influence on the characters’ actions.
 (C) it is an ever-present omen of impending tragedy.
 (d) it is a place for the characters to relax.
 4. What does the term “interplay” refer to in the context of the passage?
 (A) A lack of interaction between characters and setting.
 (B) A complex relationship where the setting influences the narrative.
 (C) An insignificant connection between characters and setting.
 (d) A complete separation of characters and setting.
english language
*
iiiiiiiii
iiiiiiiii
iiii
iiii
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 4 
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 5. Which of the following words best describes the setting in The God of Small Things?
 (A) boring.   (b) Lush and vibrant.
 (C) Insignificant.   (D) Dark and foreboding.
 6. What is the main theme discussed in the passage?
 (A) The characters in contemporary literature are not influenced by their settings.
 (b) Setting in literature is unimportant.
 (C) In literature, settings can be as influential as characters in shaping the narrative.
 (d) Settings have no role in character development.
 II. the crisis of justice that is the subject matter of discussion in the media today is in fact the 
crisis of “justice for the middle class”. the main difference between india and the OeCd 
(Organisation for economic Cooperation and development) countries is that whereas the 
middle class in these countries has reasonable access to justice, in india it does not. A vocal 
and powerful middle class has emerged in india since 1991. it is demanding reasonable 
access to justice. much of the judicial reform effort will help meet this demand…
  t he question of justice for the poor is, however, an altogether different challenge. No country 
in the world has been able to secure justice for the poor. most of the jails of the richest 
countries are filled with the poorest. The “masses” are more often victims of the criminal 
justice system than of crime. In India as well, jails are almost exclusively filled with the poor. 
the civil justice system is hardly accessible to them. they are often victimised by lawyers, 
touts and court staff. they are docket-excluded, a new type of untouchability. the language 
and the logic—and the colonial and feudal culture—of the judicial system are alien to them. 
it rarely takes cognisance of their needs and interests.
  their main concern, therefore, is to escape the attention of the justice system, criminal and 
civil. A landless dalit person in the interior of madhya Pradesh once gave me an insightful 
definition of a court from the perspective of the masses: “A court is a place where you are 
forcibly taken by the police to be punished; no one goes to a court.” in contrast, many lawyers 
and judges colloquially define a court as “a temple of justice where rights are protected”.
  t hese sharply divergent visions mean that justice for one section is often injustice for 
another. Protecting the livelihood of traditional taxi and auto drivers from predatory pricing 
by corporate app-based taxi providers by imaginatively using the available tools of law to 
delay their incursion would be seen by the rich and by sections of the middle class as a 
failure of the judicial system, and possibly as also resulting in a downgrading of the “ease 
of doing business” measure. However, the masses would see such a judicial intervention 
as strong evidence of a good justice system. Although the conflict over competing visions 
of the nation and conflicting demands from social and economic segments have confined 
judicial reform of judicial administration mainly to “neutral” areas such as process reform, 
procedural law, technology, planning and court and case management, judge strength, and 
the workload of judges, there has been considerable improvement in these areas, and the 
judicial system has improved its performance.
  [extracted, with edits, from “Justice and the t wo ideas of india”, by G. mohan Gopal, 
Frontline]
 5 
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UG
 7. What is the central thesis of the above extract? 
 (A) the practice of untouchability takes various forms in modern india. 
 (b) the imagination of justice for the rich and poor is vastly different. 
 (C) Addressing judge strength and case-load management does not affect the 
performance of the judicial system. 
 (d) Protecting the livelihood of traditional taxi drivers is contrary to the goals of ease 
of doing business.
 8. What does the author mean by ‘docket-excluded’ in the second paragraph? 
 (A) the poor do not have easy access to the justice system. 
 (b) Courts do not list bail petitions of poor undertrial prisoners who populate the 
country’s jails. 
 (C) the poor reject the judicial system as being alien to their language and logic. 
 (d) the rich are excluded from the country’s prisons, which are mostly populated by 
the poor. 
 9. Which of the following words best describes the experience of different segments of 
people with the justice system as described in the third paragraph?
 (A) Symbiotic   (b) Affective
 (C) Conflicting   (D) Inter-dependent
 10. Which of the following statements is the author most likely to agree with? 
 (A) The judicial system reflects the same power relationships as those that exist in 
society. 
 (b) Access to the judicial system is determined more by a person’s economic status such 
as wealth and income, than by their social status, such as religion and caste. 
 (C) the judicial system was made by the rich, for the rich, of the rich. 
 (d) None of the above. 
 11. Which of the following statements is the author most likely to disagree with? 
 (A) A truly representative democracy would ensure that the interests of the poor are 
also represented in the judicial system. 
 (b) the Law ensures equality both in text and in practise. 
 (C) the poor suffer most at the hands of lawyers and touts, compared to judges who 
might still pronounce judgments in their favour from time to time. 
 (d) All of the above. 
 12. What makes reform of judicial administration a ‘neutral’ area? 
 (A) Persons across socio-economic strata agree on the need to reform judicial 
administration. 
 (b) there is consensus among political parties across the ideological and regional 
spectrum on reforms to judicial administration. 
 (C) r eforms to judicial administration do not favour one class of people over 
another.
 (d) reform of judicial administration is mandated by the Constitution, and thus lies 
beyond political considerations.