NLU Delhi Students Stand with NLSIU Graduates Over Convocation Cancellation
The student bar council at National Law University, Delhi (NLUD) has publicly declared its support for the graduating class of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) following the abrupt cancellation of their convocation. In a statement dated August 28, the student body acknowledged the significance of the Chief Justice of India’s (CJI) role in the event, given his position as the ex-officio Chancellor of NLSIU. However, they contended that the students’ concerns and opinions should not have led to the cancellation of the convocation.
The council emphasized, “A graduating batch must have the autonomy and freedom to express its collective views on matters concerning its convocation, including regarding the invitation of guests to the ceremony. Administrative authority over the conduct of a convocation cannot extend to controlling the substance of students’ collective expression.”
The statement highlighted NLSIU’s prominent status in India’s legal education sector, noting it as a dream destination for many aspiring law students. “Its stature carries with it a corresponding responsibility to uphold the values of academic freedom, student autonomy, and constitutional expression that are central to the legal education it seeks to impart. While the administration has stated that degrees will be conferred ‘in absentia’, this does not substitute the significance of the graduating class being able to mark this occasion together,” the statement added.
The student body also referenced the 33rd NLSIU convocation in September 2025, where then CJI and Chancellor, Justice BR Gavai, was represented by Justice Surya Kant. They argued that given such precedents, the cancellation should be reconsidered.
“We therefore urge the University to reconsider the decision and explore an arrangement that respects the position of the Chancellor while also respecting the graduating students,” the statement concluded.
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The controversy arose when NLSIU announced on August 27 that the convocation for the class of 2026 was cancelled. Initially, on August 3, the administration had communicated that the convocation would take place on September 12. However, the situation shifted on August 15, when over 700 NLSIU community members signed a statement opposing the attendance of BCI chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra and CJI Surya Kant at the event.
This opposition followed the Bar Council of India’s (BCI) August 13 decision to halt and then quickly restore the enrolment of graduates from another institution, NALSAR Hyderabad, who had objected to CJI Surya Kant’s participation in their convocation. After NLSIU students expressed solidarity with their NALSAR counterparts, CJI Surya Kant met with the students to address their concerns, resulting in an agreement for students to attend the convocation, provided BCI chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra did not attend.
Nonetheless, a notice issued on August 27 stated that the convocation was cancelled due to “unavoidable circumstances,” and that degrees would be conferred “in absentia.” It later emerged that the convocation was called off after students declined a request from university authorities to release a public invitation for CJI Surya Kant to attend the ceremony.
