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The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to the Bar Council of India (BCI) seeking a response to a plea filed by NALSAR against two Circulars issued by BCI yesterday that received major backlash.
A bench led by CJI Surya Kant said that if students want to protest lawfully, BCI had no business to interfere. The Court has agreed to hear the plea. "BCI has nothing to do with this. We are with you. Students have written a letter to me. It's a dialogue between students and me. Who are they to unnecessarily issue a circular? When I was in college, I was even actively involved in students' activities. Sometimes, even if they are saying the wrong thing, if they are lawfully raising a voice, it must be allowed", the CJI said. The plea was mentioned by Senior Advocate K. Parameshwar. Meanwhile, the NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad said it will place before its Executive Council the Bar Council of India's (BCI) directive seeking an inquiry into students involved in the recent controversy. The university said it needs to examine whether conducting such an inquiry would be constitutional and permissible under its governance regulations. In a press release issued by Vice-Chancellor Professor Srikrishna Deva Rao, the university said it received a letter from the Bar Council of India (BCI) dated August 13, 2026, which initially disallowed the enrolment of all graduating B.A., LL. B (Hons.) students from the Batch of 2026 and sought an inquiry report on persons involved in the recent developments concerning the upcoming convocation. The university said it subsequently received another letter from the BCI on the same day rescinding the directive to State Bar Councils disallowing the enrolment of the graduating students. However, NALSAR said the second communication retained the requirement for the Vice-Chancellor to submit an inquiry report. "Given the nature of the request, the University will have to consider whether conducting such an inquiry will be a constitutional exercise of its powers," the university said. It added, "In order to assist the University to assess whether conducting such an inquiry would be constitutional and permissible under the University's governance regulations, the matter will be placed before the Executive Council of the University." The University further said that the Executive Council is its "highest decision-making body under the statute establishing the University". "Once the process of consultation with the Executive Council is completed, the same will be communicated to the Bar Council of India. The above details are also in the process of being communicated to the Bar Council of India," the university said. However, Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra on Friday clarified that an order issued concerning judicial internships has been completely withdrawn following an emergency meeting of the Council, and no inquiry will take place. Speaking to ANI, Mishra emphasised that the primary intention of the BCI is to ensure that no law student faces obstacles or losses while securing internships in the judiciary. "An order was issued yesterday, but the Council's meeting was held immediately. The Council discussed it and said, 'No, there is no need for this'. Actually, the intention is that no student should face any loss in getting an internship in the judiciary. Sometimes, we have seen in the past that due to certain reasons, the judiciary posed obstacles for students regarding internships," he said. "There will be no inquiry; there will be no inquiry whatsoever, nothing of the sort will happen. We have wished the students well for their bright futures," he added. Mishra expressed commitment to fostering a harmonious relationship between the legal fraternity, the judiciary, and aspiring lawyers, ensuring that students can pursue their training smoothly and without hardship. (ANI)
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