Bar Council of India Reverses NALSAR Enrolment Ban After Backlash

The Bar Council of India (BCI) reversed a directive halting the enrolment of NALSAR University of Law's 2026 graduating class as advocates, just hours after issuing it, following a sharp backlash from students, faculty and members of the legal fraternity.

The original order

On Thursday, BCI chairman Manan Kumar Mishra instructed all state bar councils to pause enrolment of any 2026 NALSAR graduate "until further orders." The move followed a protest campaign at the Hyderabad-based law school, where nearly 450 of NALSAR's roughly 1,400 students had written to the university's leadership opposing an invitation extended to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant to attend their convocation.

The students' objection traced back to oral remarks the CJI reportedly made during a court hearing on alleged police excesses during the Delhi NEET protests, when he is said to have told counsel, "please don't waste our time, we don't have time to watch these videos." That comment appears to have fuelled the campaign against his attendance at the convocation, a date for which had not yet been announced.

In his initial letter, addressed to NALSAR's vice-chancellor and state bar council secretaries, Mishra demanded a comprehensive report identifying individuals "principally instrumental" in organising or mobilising the boycott campaign, and warned that law students showing disrespect toward the country's highest judicial office would be a "liability on the profession."

Swift reversal

The order drew immediate criticism. Supreme Court Bar Association president Vikas Singh called the directive "illegal, disproportionate and fundamentally unsustainable," describing it as an attempt to intimidate students for exercising their right to free speech. Criticism spread quickly on social media, with legal commentators and student bodies questioning why an entire graduating class should be penalised for the actions of a smaller group.

Within hours, the BCI issued a fresh communication modifying its own order. The council said that after "thorough discussion," its members had unanimously concluded that the "vast majority" of NALSAR's 2026 batch were innocent and had not been inclined to take part in any campaign of disrespect. The revised notification stated that all students would be entitled to enrol with the state bar council of their choice, effectively lifting the blanket ban.

What happens next

The BCI said it had received information from "reliable sources" suggesting that a small number of teachers and outsiders played a role in instigating the protest, and it has asked NALSAR's vice-chancellor to conduct a formal inquiry into the matter. A final decision on any further action is expected on August 19, once that inquiry report is submitted.

The episode has renewed debate over the extent of the Bar Council's regulatory authority over law schools and their students, and whether collective punishment is an appropriate response to campus protest activity, even one involving objections to a sitting Chief Justice. For now, NALSAR's 2026 graduates can proceed with their enrolment as advocates without further impediment, though the broader inquiry into the incident remains open.

This article is an original editorial summary based on publicly reported information. It has been independently written for publication and does not reproduce content from any single source.