NLSIU students object to Bar Council chief, CJI Surya Kant attending convocation amid NALSAR row

Students at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) have voiced strong objections to the planned attendance of Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra and Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant at their convocation. The students' protest, articulated in a statement signed by 165 graduating students, 409 current students, and 128 alumni, stems from the BCI's recent actions concerning the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) University of Law in Hyderabad.

The BCI had initially halted, then quickly restored, the enrollment of NALSAR's 2026 graduating batch. This decision was reportedly a response to NALSAR students objecting to CJI Surya Kant's proposed presence at their own convocation. The NLSIU students' statement asserts that BCI Chairman Mannan Mishra lacks the legal authority to issue such orders unilaterally, as he does not represent the entire council. They also questioned the protocol for the Chairman's use of official letterhead, noting inconsistencies in BCI's communications.

Describing the BCI's actions as a "direct attack on free speech," the NLSIU students invoked Rabindranath Tagore's "Where the Mind is Without Fear." They further condemned the BCI's directive to NALSAR to identify students and faculty involved in the campaign, labeling it "nothing less than a witch-hunt." The students are demanding an unconditional apology from the BCI to the NALSAR student and faculty community.

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nothing less than a witch-hunt