CLAT PG Administrative Law 2026 - Preparation Tips, Topics, Books

Administrative Law is a significant area for the CLAT PG (Common Law Admission Test) for the Port-graduate programs. It encompasses topics such as Principles of Natural Justice, separation of power, rule of law, and judicial review among others which are all essential for understanding the administrative system of our country. There has been a huge debate about whether administrative law is even a subject or not. It was earlier considered as a subsection of constitutional law itself, however in the present world with the growth of administrative law due to changes in philosophy, increasing industrialization and modernization, and inadequacy of traditional law-making and judicial organs, there was a need to develop and understand administrative law as an entirely separate subject. Though there is a watershed area and both admin law and constitutional law overlap to a certain extent, it is essential to prepare both as separate subjects.

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This Story also Contains

1. What is Administrative Law?
2. CLAT PG Important Topics for Administrative Law 2026
3. Preparation Strategy for Preparing Administrative Law CLAT PG 2026
4. Note making Strategy for Administrative Law
5. CLAT PG Administrative Law Books 2026

What is Administrative Law?

Administrative law is different from Constitutional Law because while constitutional law lays equal emphasis on all the three principal organs of the government, administrative law is concerned with the executive/ administrative organs of the government only. It is mainly concerned with remedies available to individuals in their dealing with the administrative authorities when their rights are infringed.

From the above discussion, it can be seen that Administrative Law is a different subject and holds a significant weightage in the CLAT PG examination. It is also important to note that Administrative Law consists of very limited topics, which if prepared along with all the legal principles, landmark cases, and contemporary cases, can fetch full marks. There are no bare act provisions to be mugged up. It is therefore a low-investment and high-return subject for the students if prepared properly.

CLAT PG Important Topics for Administrative Law 2026

The first step in preparation for any subject encompasses a thorough understanding of the syllabus and the important topics that have been frequently featured in the examination. Because administrative law consists of very few topics, students need to strategically manage their time to understand all the subtopics, all essential principles along important judgments. Here we will understand the detailed syllabus of Administrative Law with effective strategies to make for the same.

The detailed CLAT PG 2026 syllabus of important topics of Administrative Law is mentioned below:

1. Separation of Powers- The concept of separation of powers refers to a system of government in which the powers are divided among multiple branches of the government, each branch controlling different facets of government. Following is the structure for how you should study the same.

• Meaning and elements of separation of power.

• Separation of powers in practice in different countries.

• Provisions of the constitution that substantiate separation of power.

• The judicial approach of the judiciary (important case laws like- Indira Gandhi Nehru vs. Ra Narain, A.K. Gopalan v. State of Madras, Golak Nath vs. State of Punjab.

2. Rule of Law- Rule of law means that everything must be done according to law, the government must function within a framework of recognized rules and principles that restrict discretionary power, and the government should not enjoy unnecessary privileges or exemptions from ordinary law. This is the most important topic as it lays down the basic framework and meaning and attracts the maximum number of questions. It should be studied in the following format-

• Definition given by Sir A.V. Dicey (Three meanings of Dicey’s rule of law)

• Meaning of the term.

• 7 principles that promote the Rule of Law (Given by K.C. Davis).

• Loopholes in the concept given by Dicey and the modern concept of rule of law.

• Landmark Judgements- ADM Jabalpur v. Shivkanth Sukhla, Bachan Singh v. State of Punjab, Keshavananda Bharti v. State of Kerala, Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj Narain, etc.

3. Principles of Natural Justice, meaning, nature, and need for administrative direction. Study the required topic in the following structure-

• Rules of Natural Justice- NEMO JUDEX IN CAUSA SUA, AUDI ALTERAM

• PARTEM and REASONED DECISION

• Study all these principles in detail as the question might come from these principles.

• Exclusion of principles of Natural Justice.

• Constitutional Provision and Natural Justice.

• Judicial Precedents like- A.K. Karipak v. Union of India, Swadeshi Cotton Mills Co. Ltd. v. Union of India, Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India, etc.

4. Rule against bias- Under this topic study the following sub-topics

• Types of bias- personal bias, pecuniary bias, official bias, departmental bias, and bias on account of obstinacy.

• Test of Bias like real likelihood test and test of reasonable suspicion.

• Principle of ‘Audi Altrem Partem’ in detail with its components.

• Judicial Precedents like- Ramanand Prasad Singh vs. UOI, Gullapalli Nageswara Rao v. A.P.S.R.T.C, Krishna Bus Service Pvt Ltd. v. State of Haryana,A.U. Kureshi v. High Court of Gujarat, etc.

5. Reasoned Decision- Reasoned Decision or speaking order means an order speaking for itself. The following sub-topics need to be covered here-

• Recording of reason: Just and reasonable.

• Forms of recording of reasons.

• Part of Natural Justice.

• Doctrine of Justiciability

• Effect of non-recording of reasons

• Judicial precedents like- Liberty Oil Mills v. UOI, Siemens Engg. And Mfg. Co. of India Ltd. v. Union of India, State of W.B. v. Krishna Shaw, etc.

6. Control of Administrative Action and Delegated Legislation- There are three types of control of legislative actions which need to be studied as separate topics-

• Legislative Control of Administrative Action

• Judicial Control of Administrative Action

• Executive Control of Administrative Action

7. Administrative Tribunal -Administrative Tribunals are adjudicatory bodies that lie outside the sphere of the ordinary judicial system. This topic needs to be studied in the following sequence

• Swaran Singh Committee (1976).

• 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976.

• 44th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1978.

• Constitutional and Legal Provision: Article 323 A and Article 323 B.

• Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985

• Sampath Kumar vs UOI

• L. Chandra Kumar vs. UoI.

8. Doctrine of Estoppel- Estoppel is a rule which prohibits a person from contradicting what was earlier said by him in a court of law. This topic has time and again attracted various questions in the CLAT PG examination. It is therefore paramount for students to cover it in great detail.

Preparation Strategy for Preparing Administrative Law CLAT PG 2026

1. CLAT PG Syllabus and Exam Pattern-

As stated above it is essential to understand the CLAT PG 2026 syllabus and CLAT PG exam pattern of questions before starting to prepare for the subject. The syllabus for Administrative Law has been explained in the above section.
The students are required to go through the past year's questions to understand the type of questions that can be asked in the examination.
Legal precedents and judgments attract most questions in this subject, therefore, students are advised to make a list of important judgement to be studied from each topic. Some important legal precedents are also given in the above section.

2. Study Plan

• Students are suggested to draft a daily study plan to navigate their preparation.

• Allot specific time for each topic so that you cover all topics in their entirety.

• Students are also advised to set their weekly targets in a systematic flow.

3. Make detailed notes of judgements

• As discussed, administrative law is developed based on decisions of the court and needs an in-depth understanding of all legal precedents to answer the questions. It is important to focus only on the significant ones that might have settled some legal conundrum or laid any new interpretation of the already existing law or completely overruled the earlier set precedent.

• Create visual maps of landmark judgments to connect and remember their timeline and the happening of events.

4. Revision

• Always remember that revision is the key to success.

• Regularly revise your notes, flow charts, tables, key points and essentials of provisions.

Attempt regular CLAT PG Mock Tests

• Another way to ensure constant revision is to take timely practice tests, CLAT PG mock tests, and solve past year question papers.

• Solving CLAT PG's previous years' papers will help you to grasp the idea of regularly asked questions, and the difficulty level of the paper, and improve your time management skills.

• Analyze each test thoroughly to identify your weak points and improve on your past mistakes.

Note making Strategy for Administrative Law

Administrative law primarily comprises theory, principles, case laws, and the development of administrative actions. Effective note-making is crucial for mastering this subject. Given its theoretical nature, students need to adopt a structured approach to ensure comprehensive understanding and retention.To create effective notes, the following points strategies can be used by students:

• Start by summarizing the key theories and principles in your own words.

• Incorporate headings and subheadings to organize the material logically,making it easier to review later.

• Use bullet points for clarity and to highlight important concepts.

• Use tables, diagrams and flow charts as it will visually aid your reading and provide you with a better clarity of the concept.

• For case laws, note the case name, year, and jurisdiction, followed by a brief summary of the facts, the legal issue, the court’s decision, and the ratio decidendi. This helps in quickly identifying the relevance of each case during revisions.

• Regularly update your notes with recent developments and judicial interpretations to keep them current

Here is a brief sample of note-making to help you incorporate the same into your notes:

Topic: Administrative tribunal: Article 323A

Similar table and highlighting techniques can be used by the students to make effective notes.

CLAT PG Administrative Law Books 2026

1. Further, it is also essential to identify the key sources for your preparation. Students are suggested to gather all essential study materials in one place to keep their preparation systematic.

2. Study material can include coaching material, books and lists of legal precedents and important judgements. Online sources can also be referred to for detailed understanding.

3. Below are some CLAT PG books that students can refer to for their preparation:

• ‘Administrative Law’ book by I.P. Massey.
• Lectures on Administrative Law’ by C.K. Takwani.

You may also check others CLAT PG Topics