India
oi-Madhuri Adnal
More than 450 graduating students of NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, have come together to oppose the reported proposal to invite Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant as the chief guest for the university’s 2026 convocation.
In a representation sent to the Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, professors and other university authorities, the Batch of 2026 law students asked the administration to reconsider the proposed invitation. They said their objection was not to the office of the Chief Justice itself, but to what they described as concerns over recent judicial proceedings and remarks attributed to Surya Kant.
Over 450 NALSAR University law students requested reconsideration of inviting CJI Surya Kant as chief guest for their 2026 convocation, citing concerns over his reported dismissal of police brutality videos during a Jantar Mantar protest hearing and perceived insensitive remarks.
While NALSAR is yet to announce the convocation date or formally confirm the CJI’s presence, having the CJI deliver the convocation address has been a tradition at the university for several years.
The students have particularly pointed to the CJI’s handling of a July 23 hearing concerning alleged police action against protesters during the Parliament march at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on July 20. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) held the July 20 protest over concerns related to the NEET examination and the functioning of the National Testing Agency.
According to the students’ representation, video evidence allegedly showing police excesses was presented during the hearing. They claimed that Surya Kant declined to watch the footage, reportedly saying, ”We are not interested in videos; we don’t have time to watch.”
The students also alleged that the submissions of the petitioner’s counsel were also cut short.
The students also alleged to another petition seeking an inquiry into the alleged police action. The students cited reports that more than 70 protesters, including women and children, were injured during the incident.
The students have also raised concerns over remarks attributed to the CJI in connection with the Jantar Mantar protest, including his alleged comparison of Indian youth to “cockroaches”.
For the students, these incidents have become relevant to the question of who should preside over their convocation.
“From referring to the youth as ‘cockroaches’ to making insensitive statements about not having time to watch videos of police brutality, the CJI has shown apathy towards students like us,” the representation said.
“Inviting him to our college to hand us degrees that hold so much academic and emotional importance does not sit right with us,” it added.
The students said their concerns were rooted in the principles they had studied during their legal education, particularly constitutional rights, access to justice, academic freedom and accountability.
“As students of law, our concern is narrow and more specific to us as a graduating batch,” they said.
They argued that a university convocation should represent the values associated with the institution and that inviting a dignitary whose recent reported conduct appeared dismissive of allegations of police brutality against protesters would be inconsistent with those values.
The students have asked the university to reconsider the proposal before any formal invitation is extended and to consult the graduating batch as part of the decision-making process.
“We request the University Administration to reconsider its proposal to extend the invitation to the Hon’ble CJI, and hope that the University treat this as a shared concern across the graduating cohorts rather than one raised by a single batch,” the letter said.
The students have also offered to meet the university administration or engage through other appropriate channels to discuss their concerns.
They have sought an early response, preferably by Monday, and described their representation as a “genuine and respectful expression” of the graduating students’ views.
NALSAR University has not issued an official response to the students’ objections so far.
TISS had also postponed convocation
The NALSAR controversy comes shortly after the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, postponed its 86th convocation, which was scheduled for August 2.
The ceremony was postponed less than two days before it was due to be held. TISS cited “unforeseen circumstances” in its communication to students and did not officially attribute the decision to either the expected presence of CJI Surya Kant or possible protests.
Surya Kant was expected to attend the TISS ceremony as the chief guest.
However, officials and students familiar with the developments said there were concerns about security arrangements and the possibility of protests linked to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement affecting the event.
Oneindia could not independently verify whether those concerns were directly responsible for the postponement.
The decision disappointed several graduating students, particularly those who had already made arrangements to attend the ceremony. Some students said they had booked travel and accommodation for their parents and other relatives who were expected to be present.
