NALSAR Student Bar says provisions cited by BCI do not authorise restrictions on enrolment of entire batch
The SBS demands M.K. Mishra’s apology for the language used against members of the NALSAR community
The Student Bar Council (SBC) of NALSAR University of Law vehemently denounced the actions taken by the Bar Council of India (BCI) on August 13, 2026, which prohibited the university's graduating class of 2026 from enrolling with any State Bar Council. The SBC issued a statement on Friday, August 14, 2026, challenging the BCI's authority to restrict the enrolment of the entire batch, arguing that the cited provisions in the Advocates Act do not grant such power.
The SBC also criticized the reliance on the Supreme Court's 2002 ruling in Ex-Capt. Harish Uppal v. Union of India, which the SBC deemed as misapplied in this context. The SBC highlighted concerns regarding the proposed identification of students, faculty, alumni, research scholars, and external participants, invoking Article 19(1)(a) and Supreme Court precedents that recognise the importance of dissent and peaceful protest.
Furthermore, the SBC emphasized that universities have a duty to safeguard independent thought and criticism of authority, and called for a retraction of the BCI Chairman's language targeting members of the NALSAR community. The SBC concluded by praising NALSAR's administration, alumni, and the broader legal and social community, alluding to Independence Day and the Constitution's promise of liberty and democratic dissent.
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