NLSIU Cancels 2026 Convocation Amid Row Over CJI's Presence

A dispute over Chief Justice Surya Kant's attendance at national law-school convocations, rooted in student anger over his handling of Jul 20 police-brutality petitions, comes to a head. At NALSAR Hyderabad, roughly 400 of 1,400 students oppose his invitation as chief guest; the Bar Council of India responds on Aug 13 by barring the entire 2026 NALSAR graduating batch from advocate enrollment, a move Surya Kant himself calls 'totally uncalled for' before the BCI retracts it. At NLSIU Bengaluru, more than 700 students, alumni and faculty sign a formal objection (165 graduating students, 409 current students, 128 alumni) to both Surya Kant and BCI chairman Manan Kumar Mishra attending the Sep 12 ceremony; on Aug 27 the university cancels its 34th annual convocation outright, citing 'unavoidable circumstances' and conferring 2026 degrees in absentia.