BCI Withdraws Order Blocking Nalsar Law Graduates' Enrolment

The Bar Council of India (BCI) withdrew its directive blocking Nalsar University of Law graduates' enrolment hours after issuing it on Thursday.The statutory regulating body for legal education and profession in India had initially stalled registrations following student protests against Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, who is traditionally invited as the chief guest.

BCI chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra issued a modified direction to Nalsar's vice-chancellor and state bar council secretaries late Thursday evening. The BCI is of the unanimous view that the vast majority of Nalsar's 2026 graduating students were innocent and "were not inclined to take part in the move of disrespect", Mishra said.

The Initial Enrolment Ban

In his first letter to the Hyderabad-based university, Mishra ordered that "no student of Nalsar University of Law, who has obtained law degree in the year 2026, shall be enrolled by any state bar council as an advocate" till further orders. The communication sought a factual report regarding individuals who organised the campaign against the CJI's participation in the convocation ceremony.

Mishra stated that a law student with no respect for the highest judicial office is not expected to be a responsible advocate, teacher or judge. "Such persons shall always be a liability on the profession", he said, adding that their conduct is inconsistent with the dignity of the legal profession.

The BCI requested Nalsar to differentiate between mere signatories and active organisers who mobilised an actual boycott. It stated that the BCI does not, at this stage, record that any person stands disqualified under Section 24A of the Advocates Act.

Mishra also alleged that "groupism and dirty politics" existed among some academic staff who played an active role in misleading students. The BCI stated that completing enrolment during the inquiry "may create a fait accompli and render the statutory examination ineffective", directing state bar councils to withhold registrations.

Backlash And Rapid Retraction

The initial directive triggered sharp backlash from the legal community. Supreme Court Bar Association president Vikas Singh condemned the BCI decision as "arbitrary". Singh called the move "illegal, disproportionate and fundamentally unsustainable", though he clarified he did not support the student protest.

Following the criticism, the council rapidly backtracked. In a modified communication posted on his X handle, Mishra shifted the blame to external instigators.

"It has been further reported by some reliable sources that a handful of teachers and outsiders were instrumental in instigating innocent students", Mishra said in his second letter. The BCI stated it will wait for the formal "inquiry report" from Nalsar's vice-chancellor. A final decision on the matter is scheduled for August 19.

Roots Of Student Protest

The controversy stems from a student campaign against the CJI. Per Times of India, Nalsar students requested the university on August 10 to reconsider inviting CJI Surya Kant as the convocation chief guest.

Students objected to the CJI's remarks during a July 20 hearing on alleged police excesses against a student march to Parliament. The petitioner wanted the bench to examine video footage of the police action, but the CJI declined, stating he did not have time to watch videos.

Nalsar University of Law has not yet finalised the date for the convocation ceremony, for which the CJI is traditionally invited.