NALSAR Row: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant has said that he never accepted an invitation from the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) University of Law to be the chief guest at its upcoming convocation, amid a controversy over Bar Council of India’s (BCI) circulars against students graduating from the law college.
Speaking to media after addressing vice-chancellors of national law universities in Jodhpur, CJI Surya Kant said he that he never consented to NALSAR’s invitation.
“I never consented to Nalsar’s invitation to be chief guest at the convocation and the question of me attending the convocation does not arise," he told the news outlet.
The CJI’s remarks came days after NALSAR confirmed that it had invited the CJI, in keeping with tradition, to be the chief guest at its convocation, which is expected to be held towards the end of August or in September.
However, a huge controversy erupted after on August 13, the Bar Council issued a circular all State Bar Councils not to enrol any student who graduated from NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, in 2026 as an advocate until further orders.
BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra also sought a report from the university identifying students allegedly involved in organising or mobilising the campaign against the CJI’s proposed participation.
The decision followed reports that a section of the graduating class had objected to the university’s reported proposal to invite Chief Justice Surya Kant as the chief guest for its forthcoming convocation.
The students’ campaign was linked to remarks made by the CJI-led bench during proceedings concerning alleged police excesses against protesters at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. A request for urgent judicial intervention had been made without a formal petition, following which the bench asked the advocate to file a proper petition and declined to entertain the matter urgently.
The BCI’s action triggered widespread criticism. The matter subsequently reached the Supreme Court, where CJI Surya Kant disapproved of the council’s intervention and directed that no punitive action be taken against students or faculty of any law university by the BCI or any State Bar Council.
“If they have a cause to protest, BCI has nothing to do with this. We are with you. Students have written a letter to me. It’s a dialogue between students and me. This was absolutely unnecessary. Totally uncalled for," the CJI said during the proceedings.
Following the backlash, the BCI reversed its earlier decision and clarified that all 2026 NALSAR graduates could enrol as advocates.
The council subsequently announced that it had decided to drop all proceedings against the graduating batch. BCI Chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra also apologised to law students, saying he sincerely regretted and apologised if any of his words or letters connected with the controversy had hurt their feelings.
