Manan Kumar Mishra, Chairperson of the Bar Council of India (BCI), has issued an apology to law students for the anguish caused by the regulator's recent directives. This apology, conveyed in an Independence Day letter, follows significant public outcry and pointed observations from the Supreme Court regarding a contentious convocation issue at Hyderabad's NALSAR University of Law.
The controversy began when approximately 450 NALSAR students from various cohorts submitted representations to the university administration. Their objection was to the selection of Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant as the chief guest for their 2026 convocation ceremony.
In response, the BCI escalated the matter by issuing a directive that instructed state bar councils to withhold the enrolment of NALSAR's entire 2026 graduating batch as advocates. The BCI also demanded detailed information about the students and faculty members involved in submitting these representations.
This regulatory action drew intense condemnation from students and alumni across numerous National Law Universities, including NALSAR and NLSIU Bengaluru. Critics widely denounced the BCI's move as arbitrary, coercive, and a clear overreach of its authority.
Faced with mounting public pressure and critical remarks from the Supreme Court, where CJI Surya Kant described the convocation issue as “a dialogue between students and me,” the BCI ultimately retracted its enrolment ban. The council also abandoned its proposed inquiry into the students and faculty.
In his three-page letter, Mishra expressed sincere regret for any distress his previous communications may have caused. He emphasized that students “must always remain free to express their views” and underscored that law graduates are fully capable of applying independent judgment without external influence or coercion. He further clarified that decisions regarding attendance at convocation ceremonies should rest entirely with individual students.