The National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, has cancelled its 34th annual convocation, which was scheduled for September 12, 2026, citing “unavoidable circumstances”. The university informed graduating students on August 27 that, despite its “collective best efforts”, it would not be able to hold the ceremony as planned.
The decision comes amid opposition from a section of students and alumni to the proposed presence of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra at the event. Graduating students will instead be conferred their degrees in absentia, subject to approval from the university’s governing bodies, with certificates to be collected from campus or received by courier.
While NLSIU has not publicly stated that the controversy was the reason for the cancellation, the development follows a similar dispute at Hyderabad’s NALSAR University of Law, where students had objected to CJI Surya Kant being invited as chief guest. The CJI later clarified that he had never accepted the NALSAR invitation, while the BCI withdrew a directive that had briefly prevented the university’s 2026 graduates from enrolling as advocates.
A Convocation Called Off
NLSIU’s August 27 notice said the university was unable to hold the ceremony “despite our collective best efforts”, attributing the decision only to “unavoidable circumstances”. The institution had informed students earlier, on August 3, that September 12 had been proposed as the date for the annual convocation. With the physical ceremony now cancelled, graduates will still receive their degrees after the necessary approvals from the university’s governing bodies.
The cancellation is significant because a convocation is traditionally more than a formal certificate-distribution exercise: it marks the transition of students from university life into professional life and allows graduates, families and faculty to celebrate the achievement together.
For the 2026 graduating cohort, that public milestone will now take place through an administrative process rather than a ceremony. NLSIU has said students will subsequently be given a choice to collect their certificates from the campus or have them sent by courier.
The controversy surrounding the proposed participation of CJI Surya Kant and BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra had already generated discussion among sections of the NLSIU community. Reports indicate that students and alumni raised objections to their proposed presence, although the university’s cancellation notice does not explicitly link the decision to those objections.
NLSIU Row Follows Controversy At NALSAR
The developments at NLSIU come shortly after a separate dispute at NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad. More than 400 students from NALSAR’s 2026 graduating cohort had opposed the reported proposal to invite CJI Surya Kant as chief guest. Their concerns were linked to remarks and observations made during Supreme Court proceedings involving allegations of police action against students during a Parliament protest.
The NALSAR dispute escalated dramatically on August 13, when BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra directed State Bar Councils not to enrol the university’s 2026 graduates as advocates until further orders. The BCI also sought information from the university about those allegedly involved in organising the campaign against the proposed CJI appearance.
The directive was withdrawn within hours amid criticism, and proceedings against the graduating batch were subsequently closed.
CJI Surya Kant later said he had never accepted NALSAR’s invitation in the first place, stating that “the question of me attending the convocation does not arise”. He also criticised the BCI’s intervention, saying that students have a right to protest and that the matter should have remained a dialogue between the students and him.
The episode has since raised broader questions about students’ right to dissent, the autonomy of educational institutions and the appropriate role of professional bodies in academic disputes.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
A university convocation should ultimately be about students — their years of hard work, their families’ support and their transition into the next chapter of their lives. When disagreements involving prominent constitutional or professional figures become so intense that a graduation ceremony cannot proceed, it is worth pausing to ask how institutions can protect both academic traditions and the right to peaceful disagreement.
Students should be able to express concerns without fear of disproportionate consequences, while universities and public institutions should have the space to listen, explain and resolve disagreements through dialogue rather than escalation. At the same time, criticism and dissent are most constructive when they remain respectful and allow room for different perspectives.
The recent NALSAR episode showed how quickly an institutional disagreement can widen when communication breaks down; the NLSIU cancellation now offers another opportunity to reflect on how such situations can be handled with empathy, transparency and restraint. Do you think universities should prioritise dialogue and compromise when disagreements over dignitaries threaten to overshadow students’ graduation celebrations?
More convocation news. @NLSIUofficial cancels this year’s convocation. This comes in the backdrop of student protests/objections to the Chief Justice of India and the Chairman of the Bar Council of India (Manan Mishra).
— 🇮🇳 Prateek Chadha 🇮🇳 (@PrateekKChadha) August 27, 2026
NLS admin was undoubtedly even more apprehensive than other… pic.twitter.com/kTuNDlXsnp
