Published Aug 27, 2026 | 8:13 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 27, 2026 | 8:14 PM
NLSIU students stood in camaraderie with all the citizens of our country who continue to brave state repression and violence. (Wikimedia commons)
Synopsis: NLSIU registrar issued a letter on Thursday, saying the university is cancelling its 34th Annual Convocation due to unavoidable circumstances. The cancellation came after NLSIU students had demanded an unconditional apology from the BCI chairperson for prohibiting the enrollment of NALSAR graduates, who had opposed inviting the Chief Justice as the chief guest of its convocation.
The prestigious National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in Bengaluru has cancelled its 34th Annual Convocation for the graduating students of 2026, citing “unavoidable circumstances”.
On 3 August, the university emailed graduating students, saying the convocation would be held on 12 September. However, on Thursday, 27 August, the university registrar issued a letter addressed to the graduating students, saying the convocation would not be held as scheduled.
The letter announced the cancellation.
“Despite our best efforts, due to unavoidable circumstances, we are unable to hold the 34th Annual Convocation,” the letter said without specifying the circumstances that had led to the cancellation.
The degrees will be conferred in absentia, the letter said.
Related: NLSIU graduating students demand unconditional apology from BCI
The unexpected cancellation grabbed national attention after NLSIU’s graduating students and alumni issued an open letter demanding that the Bar Council of India (BCI) apologise to the students and faculty of the Hyderabad-based National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR).
BCI chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra, on 13 August, issued a controversial instruction — which he later withdrew unconditionally — prohibiting all state bar councils from enrolling NALSAR graduates of 2026. His letter followed the graduates’ opposition to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant attending the function as the chief guest.
The students’ protest was against the CJI’s alleged remark that equated unemployed youth to cockroaches and parasites, which incidentally gave rise to the Cockroach Janta Party that humbled the Narendra Modi government and forced Dharmendra Pradhan to resign from the Cabinet over the NEET fiasco.
Following the BCI’s instruction, more than 700 NLSIU students and alums, in a statement, opposed the presence of CJI Surya Kant, who is NLSIU Chancellor, and Bar Council of India Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra at the 12 September convocation.
The statement was signed by 165 graduating students, 409 current students and 128 alums.
BCI’s Mishra—also a BJP MP in the Rajya Sabha—later issued an unconditional apology.
Before the NLSIU convocation was cancelled, a small group of graduating students met CJI Kant in Delhi for around 90 minutes to discuss the controversy, The News Minute reported.
The graduating students subsequently voted that they were willing to attend a convocation with the CJI present, provided there was no protest or disruption. Students were also informed that the BCI Chairman would not attend.
However, students were later reportedly asked to issue a public statement inviting the CJI to the convocation. One graduating batch voted against issuing such a statement, after which the university announced the cancellation.
NLSIU has not publicly confirmed that the disagreement had led to the cancellation.
Also Read: NALSAR alums condemn BCI vilifying students
The NLSIU registrar said the graduates would be conferred their degrees in absentia. They could collect their certificates from the university, or opt to receive by courier.
“All graduating students will be conferred their degrees in absentia after due approvals by the Governing Bodies,” the registrar said. “Students may elect to receive their Certificates by courier or collect from them at Campus [sic],” the letter said, adding that students would be issued a form to choose their preferred option.
Founded in 1986, NLSUI is regarded as one of India’s elite institutions for legal education.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
