The National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in Bangalore has officially rescheduled its 34th convocation ceremony for October 17. This decision was confirmed following the approval by the University’s Executive Council and General Council. According to sources, the governing bodies resolved that students will have the option to receive their degrees either in person or in absentia on this date. To facilitate this, graduating students are required to submit their preference via a designated form.
The convocation was initially set for September 12 but was abruptly postponed due to ‘unavoidable circumstances.’ It later surfaced that the ceremony was cancelled following a refusal by graduating students to publicly invite the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Surya Kant, as the guest of honor. This decision came after a significant number of students, both current and former, opposed the attendance of both CJI Surya Kant and Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra at the event.
The controversy began with the BCI’s actions on August 13, when it briefly halted and then reinstated the enrolment of NALSAR’s graduating class. The issue centered around objections to CJI Surya Kant’s proposed participation at their convocation. In response to the growing dissent at NLSIU, CJI Surya Kant, who also serves as the Chancellor of the university, held discussions with students to better understand their concerns.
Subsequently, students were asked to vote on whether they would attend the convocation with CJI Kant present, under the condition that there would be no protest or disruption. They were also assured that BCI Chairman Mishra would not be attending. The vote, conducted on August 23, showed a majority in favor of this arrangement, as it was perceived as preferable to the alternative of cancelling the ceremony entirely.
However, on August 25, the situation took a turn when students were informed that they would need to issue a public invitation to CJI Kant as a further condition. The inability to reach consensus on this new requirement led to the ultimate cancellation of the initial convocation date.
