The Nationwide Legislation Faculty of India College (NLSIU), Bengaluru, has cancelled its thirty fourth Annual Convocation for the graduating batch of 2026, which was scheduled to be held on September 12, citing “unavoidable circumstances”. The choice comes weeks after college students and alumni raised objections to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra attending the ceremony.
NLSIU’s Tutorial Administration staff had knowledgeable graduating college students on August 3 that September 12 was the proposed date for the annual convocation. Nonetheless, a discover issued by the college on Thursday mentioned the ceremony would not be held.
“Regardless of our collective greatest efforts, as a result of unavoidable circumstances, we’re unable to carry the thirty fourth Annual Convocation,” the college mentioned in its discover dated August 27.
The college mentioned all graduating college students would as a substitute be conferred their levels in absentia, after due approvals from its governing our bodies. College students may have the choice of receiving their certificates by courier or amassing them from the campus. In absentia means the levels can be formally conferred with out the graduating college students being bodily current at a convocation ceremony.
“The College will share a brand new type and the method with all graduating college students to decide on their most popular possibility later in the present day,” the discover mentioned.
The cancellation comes towards the backdrop of opposition amongst NLSIU college students and alumni to the proposed attendance of CJI Surya Kant and BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra on the convocation. The CJI is the Chancellor of NLSIU and awards levels to graduating college students on the college’s annual convocation.
Greater than 700 NLSIU college students and alumni had objected to Mishra and CJI Surya Kant attending the college’s convocation. They’d additionally demanded an unconditional apology from the BCI to the scholar and college group of NALSAR College of Legislation, Hyderabad.
The opposition adopted an issue at NALSAR after the BCI, on August 13, moved to halt the enrolment of the college’s 2026 graduating batch after college students and college objected to the proposed presence of CJI Surya Kant at their convocation. The enrollment resolution was subsequently restored.
In a press release dated August 15, NLSIU’s graduating college students, supported by present college students and alumni, condemned the BCI’s actions and expressed solidarity with college students and college at NALSAR. The assertion was signed by 165 graduating college students, 409 present college students and 128 alumni.
The scholars alleged that the BCI’s actions have been “extremely vires The Advocates Act, 1961” and amounted to a direct assault on the elemental proper to free speech and expression assured below Article 19(1)(a) of the Structure.
Additionally they criticised the BCI’s course to NALSAR to determine college students and college members concerned in making a illustration towards the proposed attendance of the CJI, describing the transfer as “nothing lower than a witch-hunt”.
The NLSIU college students additional expressed their disapproval of Manan Kumar Mishra attending their convocation with out taking accountability for his conduct. Additionally they opposed CJI Surya Kant attending the ceremony, citing the developments surrounding the NALSAR controversy.
“A College Convocation is a monumental occasion in a scholar’s tutorial life meant to have a good time years of exhausting work and perseverance,” the scholars mentioned of their August 15 assertion.
The assertion additional mentioned that inviting individuals holding excessive workplace to confer levels on college students “in the direction of whom they’ve publicly expressed their disdain and condescension” was “offensive, humiliating, and a mockery of scholars and their struggles.”
The scholars demanded that the BCI unconditionally apologise to the NALSAR scholar and college group and clarify the protocol governing using the BCI’s official letterhead by its Chairperson. Additionally they known as for reconsideration of the proposed participation of CJI Surya Kant and expressed sturdy disapproval of Manan Kumar Mishra attending the NLSIU convocation.
