The Governing Council of the Pupil Bar Council of Nationwide Regulation College Delhi has expressed solidarity with the graduating college students of the Nationwide Regulation College of India College (NLSIU), Bengaluru, following the cancellation of the college’s thirty fourth Annual Convocation.
In an announcement issued on August 28, the Council urged the NLSIU administration to rethink its determination and take steps to make sure that the graduating college students are given a possibility to have their convocation performed with out compromising their proper, autonomy or freedom of expression.
NLSIU had introduced the cancellation of its thirty fourth Annual Convocation, which was scheduled to be held on September 12, citing “unavoidable circumstances”. The college mentioned that the graduating college students would as an alternative be conferred their levels “in absentia”. The choice was taken following the opposition raised by a section of students to the participation of CJI Surya Kant within the ceremony as a mark of protest over his remarks in regards to the pupil protests.
The Pupil Bar Council acknowledged the significance of the Chief Justice of India’s affiliation with the convocation, noting that the CJI is the ex-officio Chancellor of NLSIU. Nevertheless, it mentioned that the issues and views expressed by the graduating college students mustn’t have resulted within the cancellation of the convocation.
“On the similar time, we consider that the issues and views expressed by the graduating college students mustn’t have resulted within the cancellation of the convocation itself. A graduating batch should have the autonomy and freedom to precise its collective views on issues regarding its convocation, together with relating to the invitation of company to the ceremony. Administrative authority over the conduct of a convocation can not prolong to controlling the substance of scholars’ collective expression,” the Council mentioned.
The Council highlighted {that a} convocation marks the fruits of a pupil’s tutorial journey and offers the graduating class a possibility to come back along with their mother and father, households, college, buddies and others who’ve been a part of or supported their journey.
It additionally referred to NLSIU’s place in authorized schooling in India and mentioned that the college’s stature carries a corresponding duty to uphold tutorial freedom, pupil autonomy and constitutional expression.
The Council additional mentioned that the college’s determination to confer levels “in absentia” doesn’t substitute the importance of the graduating class with the ability to mark the event collectively.
The assertion additionally referred to NLSIU’s thirty third Annual Convocation, the place the Chancellor had been represented by one other choose of the Supreme Courtroom. It urged the college to rethink the cancellation and discover an association that respects the place of the Chancellor whereas additionally respecting the views of the graduating college students.
“We’re additional aware that, for the thirty third Annual Convocation of NLSIU, the Chancellor had been represented by one other Hon’ble Decide of the Supreme Courtroom. The place preparations allow such illustration, the cancellation of a whole graduating class’s convocation in circumstances arising from disagreement over a public invitation warrants reconsideration. We subsequently urge the College to rethink the choice and discover an association that respects the place of the Chancellor whereas additionally respecting the views of the graduating college students,” the Council mentioned.
Background
NLSIU had earlier knowledgeable college students that regardless of “collective greatest efforts”, the thirty fourth Annual Convocation couldn’t be held as a result of “unavoidable circumstances”.
The college had mentioned that different preparations had been made for conferring the levels, topic to due approvals by its governing our bodies. It additionally mentioned that college students would obtain their certificates by courier or may acquire them from the campus.
The event after concerns were raised by the 2026 graduating batch of NLSIU and greater than 120 alumni over the Bar Council of India’s action in opposition to the outgoing batch of scholars of NALSAR, Hyderabad.
On August 15, the scholars and alumni had condemned the BCI’s motion, which has since been withdrawn, and demanded an “unconditional apology” from the BCI to the NALSAR pupil and college group.
In the identical letter, the scholars had additionally demanded reconsideration of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant because the Chief Visitor at NALSAR’s convocation. They’d concurrently expressed their “disapproval” of CJI Surya Kant attending NLSIU’s personal upcoming convocation, together with the attendance of BCI Chairman and senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra.
The BCI had closed all proceedings in opposition to the NALSAR 2026 batch by the point the scholars and alumni issued their August 15 assertion.
The NLSIU college students, nonetheless, had mentioned that the closure of the proceedings didn’t change their issues, asserting, “the truth that such unconstitutional and unlawful ‘proceedings’ could be initiated by a statutory physique in opposition to college students and college members of a public college within the first place doesn’t alter the character or the bigger impression of such actions.”
