Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Aug 27: Amidst the controversy over inviting a chief guest for the annual convocation, the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, on Thursday announced the cancellation of its 34th annual convocation for the graduating batch of 2026, due to “unavoidable circumstances.”
The development comes close on the heels of a similar controversy sparked off at the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) University of Law, Hyderabad, where the graduating students had raised objections to the university authorities inviting the Chief Justice of India Surya Kant to deliver the convocation address.
The issue was further complicated by the Bar Council of India (BCI) chairman Manan Kumar Mishra promptly issuing a circular to the all bar councils in various states to ban the enrolment as advocates of the graduating students of the NALSAR University for raising objections to the CJI delivering the convocation address. Though the circular was withdrawn within hours after it sparked off a major controversy leading to the demand for Mr Mishra’s resignation, the development left a bad taste, particularly among the legal students community. The students in different law faculties had also demanded an unconditional apology from BCI to the student and faculty community of the NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad.
The decision of the NLSIU management to cancel the convocation comes weeks after the university had informed students that the convocation would be held on September 12. In a notice issued on Thursday, NLSIU said all graduating students would instead be conferred their degrees in absentia, subject to approval from the university’s governing bodies.
“Despite our collective best efforts, due to unavoidable circumstances, we are unable to hold the 34th Annual Convocation,” the notice read.
The university said all graduating students would be conferred their degrees in absentia, subject to approval from its Governing Bodies.
“All graduating students will be conferred their degrees in absentia after due approvals by the Governing Bodies. Students may elect to receive their Certificates by courier or collect them at Campus. The University will share a new form and the process with all graduating students to choose their preferred option later today.”
The cancellation comes amid growing opposition from NLSIU students and alumni to the proposed participation of the BCI chairman Mishra and the CJI Surya Kant at the convocation. The students had particularly raised objections against the CJI delivering the convocation address because of his reported adverse comments on the recent Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) – sponsored students agitation in Delhi against the alleged NEET question paper leaks and his refusal to allot priority to the petitions complaining against the Delhi police of using excessive force against the student agitators.
More than 700 students and alumni had objected to their attendance and demanded an unconditional apology from the BCI to the student and faculty community of NALSAR University of Law. The development follows a controversy involving the BCI’s August 13 decision to temporarily halt the enrolment of NALSAR’s 2026 graduating batch over a campaign opposing CJI Surya Kant’s proposed presence at its convocation. The BCI later withdrew the decision within hours.
NLSIU students and alumni had described the BCI’s actions as an attack on free speech and called its directive to identify students and faculty involved in the campaign “nothing less than a witch-hunt.” According to sources, Chief Justice Surya Kant had also held a 90-minute interaction with NLSIU students to understand their concerns. The statement opposing the BCI’s actions was signed by 165 graduating students, 409 current students and 128 alumni.
The announcement of cancellation of the NLSIU convocation also prompted a response from the CJP. Reacting to the cancellation notice, the CJP co-convenor Saurav Das said he hoped the graduating batch would organise their own ceremony and invite a special guest to felicitate the students. “I hope the NLSIU graduating batch organises its own graduation ceremony and invites the most honourable guest to felicitate them. Do it the Gen-Z way!” he said.
The demand for the BCI chairman’s apology came after BCI, first issued and then withdrew its order freezing enrolment of the NALSAR University graduates for raising objections against CJI’s presence at the convocation. It had directed all state bar councils not to enrol any student from the batch pending an inquiry into a campaign opposing the CJI.
While withdrawing his earlier order, Mr Mishra had said the Council had “thoroughly discussed and deliberated” on his earlier letter and modified the direction imposing the enrolment ban. The Council, he said, was of the unanimous view that, according to the “latest report”, the vast majority of NALSAR’s 2026 graduating students were innocent and had not intended to participate in any move to show disrespect.
“Accordingly, the Council modifies the order of chairman with regard to the ban on the enrolment of the NALSAR students with the State Bar Councils. All the students will be entitled to get enrolled with the state bar councils of their choice,” the amended order said. The NALSAR University had confirmed that Justice Kant had been invited as chief guest, although the convocation dates had not yet been finalised and it was awaiting a response to the invitation.