NALSAR University of Law will place a Bar Council of India (BCI) directive before its Executive Council to assess its constitutionality. The BCI seeks an inquiry into students who opposed the CJI being the chief guest at the university’s convocation.
NALSAR to Review BCI’s Inquiry Directive
NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, on Friday said it will place before its Executive Council the Bar Council of India’s (BCI) directive seeking an inquiry into students involved in the recent controversy over their opposition to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) being the chief guest at the upcoming convocation. The university said it needs to examine whether conducting such an inquiry would be “constitutional and permissible under its governance regulations.”
In a press release issued by Vice-Chancellor Professor Srikrishna Deva Rao, the university said it received a letter from the Bar Council of India (BCI) dated August 13, 2026, which initially disallowed the enrolment of all graduating B.A., LL.B (Hons.) students from the Batch of 2026 and sought an inquiry report on persons involved in the recent developments concerning the upcoming convocation.
The university said it subsequently received another letter from the BCI on the same day rescinding the directive to State Bar Councils disallowing the enrolment of the graduating students. However, NALSAR said the second communication retained the requirement for the Vice-Chancellor to submit an inquiry report.
“Given the nature of the request, the University will have to consider whether conducting such an inquiry will be a constitutional exercise of its powers,” the university said. It added, “In order to assist the University to assess whether conducting such an inquiry would be constitutional and permissible under the University’s governance regulations, the matter will be placed before the Executive Council of the University.”
The university further said that the Executive Council is its “highest decision-making body under the statute establishing the University”. “Once the process of consultation with the Executive Council is completed, the same will be communicated to the Bar Council of India. The above details are also in the process of being communicated to the Bar Council of India,” the university said.
SCBA President Condemns BCI’s Move
Meanwhile, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President and Senior Advocate Vikas Singh has condemned the Bar Council of India’s (BCI) now-withdrawn direction barring State Bar Councils from enrolling NALSAR University of Law’s 2026 graduates as advocates over CJI Surya Kant’s invite controversy and has termed it arbitrary, illegal and disproportionate.
The BCI had taken the stringent step after reports of a campaign at NALSAR opposing the proposed participation of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant as chief guest at the university’s convocation. The Council had sought a factual report from the Vice-Chancellor on those who initiated, organised or mobilised the campaign and, pending the inquiry, directed that no 2026 graduate be enrolled by any State Bar Council.
In a letter to BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra on August 13, Singh strongly objected to the direction, saying the blanket restriction amounted to an attempt to intimidate law students for exercising their fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression. The letter read, “This unprecedented and wholly arbitrary direction is, in my view, illegal, disproportionate and fundamentally unsustainable. It amounts to an attempt to intimidate law students for exercising their fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression.” (ANI)
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