NLSIU students, alumni oppose invitation to CJI Surya Kant, BCI chairman
text_fields
Students and alumni of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) have opposed the invitation extended to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra for the university’s upcoming convocation.
The opposition follows a controversy at NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad, where the BCI briefly ordered that students from the 2026 graduating batch should not be enrolled as advocates after some students objected to CJI Kant being invited as chief guest at their convocation.
The BCI later withdrew the order, while Mishra apologised to law students, saying their “dignity, independence of thought and legitimate concerns” should be respected.
In a letter on Saturday, NLSIU students and alumni expressed “unconditional solidarity” with the NALSAR students and criticised the conduct of the BCI chairman and the proposed participation of the CJI at their own convocation.
The students said the issue was not merely about the attendance of particular individuals at a graduation ceremony, but about whether students at leading law schools should be able to disagree with powerful institutions and public officials without fearing consequences for their professional careers.
“We stand in unconditional solidarity with our fellow students at NALSAR who have shown exemplary courage and moral conviction in speaking truth to power,” they said.
The NLSIU students and alumni demanded an unconditional apology from the BCI to the NALSAR student and faculty community.
They also accused the BCI of attempting to infringe students’ fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression. In addition, they called on the BCI to explain how its official letterhead came to be used by its chairman in connection with the controversial order.