NLSIU cancels 2026 convocation amid row over CJI Surya Kant’s proposed presence

The National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, has cancelled its 34th annual convocation for the 2026 graduating batch, which was scheduled for Sep 12, citing “unavoidable circumstances”.

The decision comes amid a dispute over the proposed participation of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairman and Rajya Sabha MP Manan Kumar Mishra at the ceremony.

In a notification issued on Aug 27, the university said that despite its “collective best efforts”, it would not be able to hold the convocation. The university had informed graduating students on Aug 3 that Sep 12 was the proposed date for the annual ceremony.

NLSIU said graduating students would instead be conferred their degrees in absentia, subject to the required approvals from the university’s governing bodies.

Students will be given the option of receiving their certificates by courier or collecting them from the campus. The university said it would subsequently provide students with a form and further instructions to indicate their preferred option.

The cancellation follows opposition from students and alumni to the proposed participation of CJI Surya Kant and BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra.

According to reports, the university had confirmed that Justice Kant had been invited as chief guest, although the final convocation date had not initially been fixed and the university was awaiting his response to the invitation.

The controversy at NLSIU emerged in the aftermath of a separate dispute at the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) University of Law in Hyderabad. Students at NALSAR had objected to CJI Surya Kant being invited to their convocation.

The issue escalated after the BCI temporarily moved to halt the enrolment of the 2026 graduating batch at NALSAR, before withdrawing the decision within hours.

The NALSAR episode subsequently prompted a response from students and alumni at NLSIU. In a statement, the NLSIU community expressed solidarity with the NALSAR students and sought an unconditional apology from the BCI to the NALSAR student and faculty community.

The NLSIU students and alumni also expressed their disapproval of CJI Surya Kant attending their own upcoming convocation, as well as the participation of BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra.

The statement opposing the BCI's actions was signed by 165 graduating students, 409 current students and 128 alumni, according to an NDTV report.

The signatories criticised the BCI's actions and raised concerns about students' ability to express disagreement with public institutions and officials.

The controversy has placed NLSIU, the Supreme Court and the BCI at the centre of a wider dispute involving law students and their expression of dissent.

NLSIU and the BCI have an established institutional relationship, with both the Chief Justice of India and the BCI chairman represented on the university's governing bodies.

At NLSIU's 2025 convocation, Justice Surya Kant, who was then a Supreme Court judge, presided over the ceremony, while Manan Kumar Mishra delivered the welcome address.

Amid the developments, reports said CJI Surya Kant also held a 90-minute interaction with NLSIU students to hear their concerns.

The cancellation means the 2026 graduating batch will not have the scheduled Sep 12 ceremony. Instead, students will receive their degrees through the alternative process announced by the university, subject to approval by its governing bodies.

The university has not attributed the cancellation directly to the dispute over the proposed guests and has cited only “unavoidable circumstances” in its official notification.