NILSU Students Protest Invitation of CJI Suryakant and BCI Chairman to Graduation Ceremony

The Bar Council of India (BCI) has revoked a previously issued notification addressed to the Nalsar University of Law in Hyderabad. This withdrawal followed several hours after the initial notice, which threatened to prevent those who organized opposition to inviting Chief Justice (CJI) Surya Kant to the institute's graduation ceremony from registering as advocates.

In a new message published late in the evening, BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra stated that the council had thoroughly discussed and reviewed its previous document sent to the Vice-Chancellor of Nalsar and the secretaries of the state bar councils, and had adjusted its decision.

BCI, as the statutory regulatory body for legal education and the profession, reached a unanimous opinion that, according to the 'latest report,' the vast majority of Nalsar graduates of 2026 were innocent and 'had no intention of participating in an act of disrespect.' However, Mishra noted that 'some reliable sources reported that a handful of faculty members and outsiders played a decisive role in inciting innocent students.'

In a recent letter posted on his X account, BCI announced that it would await an 'investigation report' from Nalsar. Previously, Mishra had demanded a 'factual report' on individuals who contributed to 'intimidating a constitutional functionary' by initiating, organizing, or mobilizing a campaign against the CJI's participation in the convocation ceremony.

In his first letter, the BCI chairman warned: 'Until further orders, no student of Nalsar University of Law graduating in 2026 will be registered as an advocate by any state bar council.' He also indicated that the final decision would be made on August 19th after receiving the report from the Vice-Chancellor.

The council requested Nalsar to differentiate between those who merely signed or supported petitions and those who organized or coordinated the campaign, as well as between those who proposed or mobilized actual boycotts, obstruction, or violations. Mishra emphasized that 'at this stage, BCI does not record that any person is disqualified from registration under Section 24A (Advocates Act) solely for participating in the aforementioned petition or campaign.'

Earlier, the publication TOI reported that a group of students at Nalsar asked the university to reconsider the invitation of CJI Kant to the upcoming convocation ceremony, expressing disagreement with the CJI's remarks during hearings on alleged police excesses against the march of student protesters in Parliament on July 20. These students wanted the collegium, led by the CJI, to review video footage of police actions. However, the CJI rejected this request, stating he did not have time to watch the videos.

In his initial communication, the head of BCI asserted that 'a law student who shows disrespect to the highest judicial body of the country cannot be considered a responsible or reasonable lawyer, teacher, or judge. Such individuals will always be a burden to the profession. Such behavior negatively affects a person's suitability for entry into or connection with the legal profession and contradicts the dignity, discipline, and ethical standards of the legal profession.'

He also added that 'according to some reliable sources, there is factionalism and dirty politics among some academic staff, and they played a very active role in misleading, inciting, and misadvising students. This is a very serious issue. Faculty members are engaging in dirty politics on campus instead of focusing on their teaching duties. BCI, as the regulator of legal education, cannot remain a silent observer of such a serious situation.'

In conclusion, it was noted that 'if material concerning the conduct of a specific applicant is under active statutory consideration by BCI, and such consideration may affect the regulatory considerations governing entry into the profession, completing registration during such consideration may create an insurmountable situation and render the statutory consideration ineffective,' leading the state bar councils to be advised to suspend the registration of Nalsar graduates until further notice.

The Bar Council of India (BCI) issued a directive to all state councils temporarily suspending the registration of any 2026 law school graduate from NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad as an advocate until further notice.

This decision was made amid an alleged organized campaign against the participation of Chief Justice Surya Kant in the university's graduation ceremony.

A dispute has arisen at the National Academy of Legal Research and Sciences (NALSAR) in Hyderabad regarding the graduation ceremony. A group of students about to graduate from the university opposed the invitation of CJI Suryakant as the chief guest for the event.

Students from the Class of 2026 sent a letter to the Vice-Chancellor, Rector, faculty, and university administration demanding a review of their decision. They argued that inviting the Chief Justice as the main guest contradicts the principles of academic freedom and constitutional accountability.

In the letter, the students pointed out that the CJI had shown indifference to students like them, citing his remarks about youth as 'cockroaches,' as well as watching videos about police violence. Therefore, they consider it unacceptable to invite him to the college and receive diplomas from his hands, which hold great academic and emotional significance for them.

The students appealed to the university administration to reconsider their proposal to invite the CJI, expressing hope that the university would view this as a concern for all graduates, not just a demand from one cohort.

Following the public release of this letter, discussions in legal circles have intensified. However, as of now, no official response from the NALSAR University administration has been received regarding the students' letter.