NALSAR Students Oppose CJI Surya Kant As Convocation Chief Guest

Students from the outgoing 2026 LLB and LLM batches, along with those from several junior batches, have submitted representations to the Vice-Chancellor, Registrar and faculty members, asking the university not to invite the CJI for the ceremony.

The university has not yet officially announced the date of the convocation or confirmed the chief guest. However, inviting the incumbent CJI to deliver the convocation address has reportedly been a longstanding practice at NALSAR.

The first representation was submitted on July 23 by around 70 students of the graduating batch. Subsequently, students from batches of 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030 and 2031 expressed solidarity with the concerns and submitted separate representations to the administration.

The students' principal objection relates to the Supreme Court proceedings concerning alleged police action against protesters during the July 20 demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

According to the representations, the students were particularly concerned by remarks attributed to CJI Surya Kant during the proceedings, including his reported response when counsel sought to place video material of the alleged police excesses before the Court.

The students argued that a convocation should reflect NALSAR's stated commitment to constitutional values, access to justice and reasoned engagement with grievances.

The outgoing batch stated that receiving their degrees from a dignitary whose recent conduct, as reported, appeared dismissive of allegations concerning police action against protesters was inconsistent with the values they had been taught at the institution.

The students accordingly requested the university to reconsider the reported choice of chief guest and consult the graduating batch before formally extending or proceeding with the invitation.

A representation from the 2029 batch similarly stated that the concerns raised by the graduating students went beyond the immediate interests of one batch and concerned the constitutional ethos that NALSAR seeks to embody.

The 2028 batch described its opposition to the reported invitation as "vehement", while the 2030 batch referred to other remarks attributed to the CJI in the past and contended that such statements did not align with the constitutional values the university represented.

However, CJI Surya Kant has previously disputed media reports concerning the July 20 protest proceedings. On July 24, he clarified that no writ petition seeking urgent intervention had actually been filed before the Supreme Court and that only a representation had reached him. He described reports suggesting that he had refused to list such a petition as false.

The students have also linked their concerns to their broader engagement with the NEET-UG controversy and protests.

On July 17, NALSAR's Student Bar Council issued a statement expressing solidarity with students protesting over issues concerning the NEET examination and supported educationist Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike. Several students subsequently observed a one-meal fast on July 20.

The students later held a demonstration outside the university's main gate, raising concerns over the NEET examination, accountability and the response of the authorities to issues raised by students.

NALSAR's administration has not publicly confirmed whether CJI Surya Kant has formally been invited to the upcoming convocation or whether the university will reconsider the reported proposal.