BCI has no business: Supreme Court bench led by CJI Surya Kant slams circular against NALSAR students

The Supreme Court on Friday criticised the Bar Council of India's (BCI) now-withdrawn order that no law student of NALSAR Hyderabad's 2026 batch would be allowed to enrol as advocates on account of their campaign against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant.

CJI Kant himself today slammed the BCI's move.

"Naturally, this is absolutely uncalled for. It’s a dialogue between students and me. Who are they to raise an issue? This is totally uncalled for. In my student days I have been actively involved in student activities. Assuming even if they are wrong they have a right to protest. BCI doesn’t have any business," remarked CJI Kant.

The remarks were made after Senior Advocate K Parameshwar mentioned the matter this morning before a Bench of CJI Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana.

"BCI has no business of what’s going on in a university," submitted Parameshwar today before the Supreme Court.

Even as it recorded that the BCI has since rescinded the action against the students and the inquiry into the protests, the Court proceeded to issue notice on the plea. It made in clear that no punitive action should be taken against NALSAR or any of its students or faculty or any other national law university by the BCI.

"Issue notice. Meanwhile no action shall be taken punitive action to be taken against student or faculty of any national law university/law university. BCI accepts notice. Pending circular has been withdrawn. Be that as it may let counter affidavit may be filed within 2 weeks. No punitive action to be taken against students of NALSAR in respect of the incidents mentioned in the subject letters," the order said.

CJI Kant added,

"Even in young days somebody makes a wrong statement that doesn’t mean they don’t have right to protest. Please tell all the students to get enrolled, join Supreme Court bar, we will empanel them for legal aid cases."

The controversy stems from a letter written by NALSAR students to the University protesting the invitation of CJI Kant as chief guest for their convocation, over his alleged inaction on police brutalities during the recent protests at Jantar Mantar.

The students said that it did not sit right to receive their degrees from a dignitary whose recent public conduct appeared dismissive of serious allegations of police brutality against protesting citizens. The letter referred to a mentioning made before the CJI by a lawyer for urgent hearing of the issue on July 22, when the CJI told the counsel,

"Don't waste our time, and don't waste your time."

The representation states that when counsel offered to show video evidence of the alleged police action, the CJI said,

"We are not interested in videos; we don't have time to watch."

The representation was reportedly signed by around 70 students of the outgoing 2026 batch. Two days later, about 380 more students from the 2027 to 2031 batches extended their support.

In response to this, the first BCI circular barred the entire 2026 batch of NALSAR from being enrolled as advocates due to their opposition to have CJI as the chief guest for their convocation. The circular stated,

"As per some reliable sources, there exists groupism and dirty politics among some of the academic staff and they have played very active role in misleading, instigating and misguiding the students. This is a very serious matter. The teachers, instead of involving themselves in their teaching job, are doing nasty politics in the campus. Bar Council of India, being the regulator of Legal Education cannot be a mute spectator of such a serious situation."

The second circular, passed within hours of the first, reversed the decision on halting enrolment, but retained the decision for an inquiry into the persons instrumental in initiating, organising, or mobilising the campaign to protest the invitation of the CJI. In this regard, the BCI also sought an inquiry report from the University.

After the second circular, NALSAR Vice-Chancellor Prof Srikrishna Deva Rao issued a press release stating that the University would first examine whether such an inquiry is permitted under its governance regulations.