A controversy has erupted at the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) University of Law in Hyderabad, with several students opposing the proposed invitation of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant as the chief guest at the university’s upcoming convocation.
The university has not yet announced the date of the convocation or officially confirmed the CJI’s presence, but traditionally the CJI has been the chief guest at the event.
The students are opposing the presence of CJI over his recent remarks and conduct during proceedings related to protests in New Delhi over the NEET examination controversy and police brutality against protesters.
On July 22, when protesters sought the Supreme Court’s intervention over police excesses during demonstrations, the CJI-led bench declined to initiate suo motu proceedings. The CJI reportedly made remarks like: “We are not interested in videos. We don’t have time to watch them” and “Don’t waste our time, and don’t waste your time”.
It must be recalled that the formation of the Cockroach Janta Party, which launched the protest against NEET failure, was triggered by the remarks of the CJI.
According to The Hindu, on July 23, students from the 2026 graduating batch wrote to the Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, faculty members and university administration, asking them to reconsider the CJI as the chief guest for their convocation.
The representation, endorsed by around 70 students, including members of the Students Bar Council, said the choice of chief guest should reflect NALSAR’s commitment to constitutional rights, access to justice and engaging with grievances, the report said.
“As law students, our concern is specific to our graduating batch. A convocation should reflect the university’s commitment to constitutional rights, access to justice, and reasoned engagement with grievances. Receiving our degrees from a dignitary whose recent public conduct, as reported, appears dismissive of serious allegations of police brutality against protesting citizens sits uneasily with the values we have been taught at NALSAR,” the letter reportedly said.
The representation subsequently received support from students across several batches. By July 25, students from the 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030 and 2031 batches, together comprising around 380 students, had endorsed the representation initiated by the graduating batch.
However, the university had neither acknowledged the representation nor communicated its decision on the issue.