NALSAR Student Bar Council backs NLSIU over convocation cancellation

The Student Bar Council (SBC) of NALSAR University of Law has expressed solidarity with the 2026 graduating batch of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) following the cancellation of their convocation ceremony.

According to the SBC, NLSIU students had initially agreed to the presence of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, who serves as the university's ex-officio Chancellor. However, a subsequent demand was made for students to issue a public letter ‘re-inviting’ the CJI. The SBC stated that the NLSIU administration was not responsible for this specific demand, noting that the convocation was called off only after students rejected the requirement for a public letter.

The SBC, supported by 111 NALSAR alumni, criticized the decision to cancel the milestone event, suggesting that postponement should have been considered instead of citing ‘unavoidable circumstances’. The council noted that the controversy follows previous tensions involving the Bar Council of India (BCI) and expressed concern that students were being forced to choose between academic milestones and their right to dissent.