The Bar Council of India (BCI) has reversed its initial directive preventing 2026 graduates from NALSAR University of Law from enrolling as advocates. This U-turn came after significant social media backlash and criticism that the ban infringed upon students' freedom of speech. The initial instruction by the BCI was reportedly in response to allegations of a campaign against Chief Justice of India Surya Kant's planned participation in the university's graduation ceremony

The Bar Council of India (BCI) has reversed its initial directive preventing 2026 graduates from NALSAR University of Law from enrolling as advocates. This U-turn came after significant social media backlash and criticism that the ban infringed upon students' freedom of speech. The initial instruction by the BCI was reportedly in response to allegations of a campaign against Chief Justice of India Surya Kant's planned participation in the university's graduation ceremony

The Bar Council of India (BCI) has reversed its initial directive preventing 2026 graduates from NALSAR University of Law from enrolling as advocates. This U-turn came after significant social media backlash and criticism that the ban infringed upon students' freedom of speech. The initial instruction by the BCI was reportedly in response to allegations of a campaign against Chief Justice of India Surya Kant's planned participation in the university's graduation ceremony

Hours after the Bar Council of India (BCI) directed all state bar councils not to enrol any 2026 graduates from NALSAR University of Law as advocates, the lawyers body rolled back the instruction following social media backlash.

In the first announcement, BCI chairperson and BJP MP Manan Kumar Mishra said that the council was looking into allegations of a campaign against Chief Justice of India Surya Kant's participation in the university's graduation ceremony. He said the BCI had requested a report to identify who was responsible. The main professional body for lawyers said it would make a final decision on the matter on August 19 after reviewing the information presented to it.

The BCI, however, did a U-turn after netizens came down heavily on the decision, and allowed the 2026 graduates of Hyderabad-based NALSAR University of Law to be enrolled as advocates. The new notification said that the "vast majority" of the students were innocent and should not have to suffer because of the alleged misconduct of a few.

In the updated message, Mishra said its members had discussed the matter and unanimously decided to change the decision regarding the students' enrolment. "All the students will be entitled to get enrolled with the State Bar Councils of their choice," he said in the letter.

Supreme Court Bar Association of India president Vikas Singh criticised the BCI's initial decision against the university students, saying it was an attempt to intimidate them for using their fundamental right to freedom.

Why did NALSAR students object to the invite to CJI Surya Kant?

Seventy members of the outgoing LLB batch had, in July this year, written to the Vice-Chancellor, Registrar and professors of the institution, opposing the proposal to invite Kant as chief guest to the convocation, the date of which is yet to be announced. Students from several later batches too, reportedly, backed the representation.

The students objected to the remarks made by the CJI in the Supreme Court while hearing a plea concerning alleged police action against protesters during the student demonstration against the NEET-UG paper leak at Jantar Mantar on July 20. They referred to CJI Kant’s reported comments that the bench was not interested in watching videos when the lead counsel offered to show footage of the alleged police excesses during the protest.

"We feel that receiving our degrees from a dignitary whose recent public conduct, as reported, appears dismissive of serious allegations of police brutality against protesting citizens, sits uncomfortably with what we have been taught to value during our time at NALSAR", they said in the email, according to PTI.

CJP’s Abhjieet Dipke hints at fresh protest

Soon after the BCI’s enrolment ban was announced, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke took to X to threaten fresh protests.

Dipke had posted a similar message when Kant had made the “cockroaches” remark earlier this year – the CJI had compared India’s unemployed youth to “parasites” and “cockroaches” during a Supreme Court hearing. The remark led to the formation of the CJP, a youth-led movement that recently held protests across the country against examination-related irregularities.

The BCI has directed the NALSAR Vice-Chancellor to conduct an inquiry and said that further action would be considered after it receives the report.

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