Bar Council Blocks Enrolment of NALSAR 2026 Graduates as Advocates Amid CJI Invite Dispute

The Bar Council of India (BCI) has directed State Bar Councils not to enrol any 2026 graduate of NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, as an advocate until further orders, amid a controversy over.

The reported invitation to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant as chief guest for the university’s convocation. In an order issued on Thursday, the BCI said, “No student of NALSAR University of Law, who has obtained the Law Degree in the year 2026, shall be enrolled by any State Bar Council as an Advocate till further orders.”

The move follows opposition from a section of NALSAR’s graduating students to the reported invitation of CJI Surya Kant. The decision could temporarily affect the professional plans of the 2026 graduating batch, as enrolment with a State Bar Council is necessary to practise as an advocate.

BCI SEEKS REPORT FROM NALSAR VC

The BCI has also sought a report from NALSAR Vice-Chancellor on the circumstances surrounding the convocation controversy. Advocate VP Sharma, a member of the BCI Executive Committee, said the decision was taken with the committee’s approval and was intended to address concerns over student discipline.

Sharma said the BCI had only called for a report at this stage and that the enrolment process could resume if the inquiry finds no instance of indiscipline. “If there was no indiscipline, then we will go ahead with the enrolment,” he said, adding that anyone seeking to challenge the BCI order was free to do so.

450-PLUS STUDENTS OBJECT TO CJI INVITATION

The controversy erupted after more than 450 NALSAR students from the 2026 graduating batch signed a representation urging university authorities to reconsider the reported invitation to CJI Surya Kant.

The students addressed the representation to the Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, professors and other university authorities. They noted that the convocation date and chief guest had not yet been formally finalised but said they wanted their objections recorded before a final decision.

STUDENTS CITE JANTAR MANTAR HEARING

The students referred to recent judicial proceedings concerning alleged police action against protesters during a march from Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on July 20.

According to their representation, during a July 23 hearing, the CJI declined to watch video footage allegedly showing police excesses, saying the court did not have time to watch the videos. They also alleged that submissions by the petitioner’s counsel were subsequently cut short.

The students further objected to remarks they attributed to the CJI concerning the Jantar Mantar protest and an alleged comparison of Indian youth to “cockroaches”.

“From referring to the youth as ‘cockroaches’ to making insensitive statements about not having time to watch videos of police brutality, the CJI has shown apathy towards students like us,” the students said in their representation.

STUDENTS INVOKE CONSTITUTIONAL VALUES

The students clarified that their objection was not directed at the office of the Chief Justice of India but at whether the reported conduct was consistent with the values they believe a law university’s convocation should uphold.

They said a convocation should reflect NALSAR’s commitment to constitutional rights, access to justice and reasoned engagement with grievances.

The students argued that receiving their degrees from a dignitary whose reported conduct they viewed as dismissive of allegations of police brutality would be inconsistent with the constitutional values emphasised during their legal education.

With the BCI now withholding advocate enrolment for the 2026 batch, the controversy has moved beyond the convocation itself and raised questions over the immediate professional prospects of NALSAR’s graduating students.