Hyderabad: Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra on Friday, August 14, said that the inquiry proceedings against NALSAR students in Hyderabad will be closed. The BCI earlier had issued an order to all State Bar Councils asking them not to enrol any 2026-passed-out students from the NALSAR University before quickly withdrawing it on the same day after students here had called the university to not invite Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant at its convocation this year.
In a post on X, Mishra said, “After considering the representations and reactions of Senior Advocates, learned members of the Bar, law students and public spirited citizens, and being satisfied that the 2026 batch of NALSAR, Hyderabad, had no role in any disturbance or movement, the Bar Council of India has decided to close the proceedings altogether. No further action is required @NALSAR_Official.”
The BCI Chairman also remarked that while dissent is welcome, “public ridicule of constitutional institutions is often counterproductive.”
Moreover, in what seems to be a stand protecting its students, Prof Prof Srikrishna Deva Rao, vice-chancellor, NALSAR University Hyderabad, in a letter to the Bar Council of India (BCI). said that he will refer the issue of seeking an inquiry against students to the varsity’s Executive Council. The VC in his letter also added it has to be checked whether seeking a report in within the constitution exercise of its powers.
This is one of the few instances in recent times pertaining to universities where its administration has not taken against promptly against students who chose to make their dissent public. It may also be noted that current BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra is also a Rajya Sabha member from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
While the CJI will be the chief guest despite the opposition, NALSAR received a letter from the Bar Council of India dated 13th August 2026 (ref. no. BCID 5449/2026) disallowing the enrollment of all our graduating B.A., LL.B (Hons.) students from the Batch of 2026.
The order was issued after university students had protested the attendance of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant at their convocation. Around 70 National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) University students of the outgoing batch of 2026 had submitted a representation to the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, professors and the administration, urging them to reconsider inviting the CJI.
The letter also asked the University for an inquiry report on persons involved in the recent developments concerning the upcoming convocation.
Addressing this, the VC in a press release said, “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. In order to assist the University, 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 Executive Council is the University highest decision-making body under the statute establishing the University).”
The earlier letter issued by BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra stated that a student of law, who has no regard or respect for the country’s highest judicial office, cannot be expected to be a responsible or sensible advocate or judge.
“Such persons shall always be a liability on the profession. Such conduct reflects adversely upon the person’s suitability for entry into or association with the legal profession and is inconsistent with the dignity, discipline and ethical standards of the legal profession. Our experience is that such people are always indulged in strikes and boycotts and tarnish the image of the legal profession,” the letter reads.
This post was last modified on August 14, 2026 8:17 am