National Law School Of India University Cancels 34th Annual Convocation
NLSIU has cancelled its 34th annual convocation scheduled for September 12 after students and alumni raised objections over proposed participation by senior legal figures.
The National Law School of India University in Bengaluru has cancelled its 34th annual convocation for the 2026 graduating batch, bringing an unexpected change to an event that was scheduled for September 12.
The university informed students that the convocation had been called off due to unavoidable circumstances. Graduating students will still receive their certificates, either through courier or by collecting them from the campus. NLSIU said application details and further instructions would be shared with the graduating batch.
The cancellation comes after growing opposition from students and alumni over the proposed participation of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Bar Council of India president Manan Kumar Mishra at the ceremony.
More than 700 students and alumni had reportedly expressed concerns about their participation. The objections came amid a wider dispute involving the Bar Council of India and students of NALSAR University of Law.
The issue had already created tension within the legal education community. NALSAR students from the 2026 graduating batch had campaigned against the proposed participation of CJI Surya Kant in their convocation. The developments surrounding the Bar Council of India had subsequently drawn criticism from students and alumni at NLSIU as well.
On August 13, the Bar Council of India temporarily suspended the registration process connected with the issue involving NALSAR. The decision was reversed within a few hours, however. Students and alumni at NLSIU criticised the move and described the BCI’s actions as a concern for freedom of expression.
The disagreement later became linked to the proposed NLSIU convocation. Students and former students raised objections to the presence of Manan Kumar Mishra and CJI Surya Kant at the ceremony. They also demanded an unconditional apology from the Bar Council of India to the NALSAR students and academic community.
Against this backdrop, the university’s decision to cancel the September 12 event has attracted considerable attention. NLSIU has not publicly stated that the student and alumni opposition was the reason for the cancellation. Its communication to students cited unavoidable circumstances.
For graduating students, the immediate concern is now receiving their academic certificates without the traditional convocation ceremony. The university has therefore offered two alternatives, allowing students to receive the documents by courier or collect them directly from the campus.
The cancellation means students from the 2026 batch will not have the usual ceremony associated with completing their legal education at one of India’s leading law universities. Further details about the certificate distribution process are expected to be provided by NLSIU.
The developments also highlight the growing debate within India’s legal education institutions over student expression, institutional decisions and the role of professional legal bodies. For now, the focus remains on how NLSIU will complete the formal graduation process following the cancellation.
