NLSIU Bengaluru cancels 2026 convocation amid student protests

The National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in Bengaluru has cancelled its 34th Annual Convocation, originally scheduled for September 12, 2026. The university cited “unavoidable circumstances” for the decision, though official notices did not specify the exact cause.

The cancellation follows significant opposition from over 700 students and alumni regarding the proposed attendance of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra. The protests were linked to a prior controversy at NALSAR University of Law, where the BCI had briefly halted student enrollments following protests against the CJI’s presence at a ceremony there.

Graduating students will instead be conferred their degrees in absentia, subject to approval from the university’s governing bodies. The administration has provided options for graduates to either collect their certificates directly from the campus or receive them via courier. The university intends to share a new form to allow students to indicate their preferred method of receiving their credentials.