Nalsar Alumni Move Supreme Court Over Bar Council of India Circular

Alumni of the Hyderabad-based National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (Nalsar) have approached the Supreme Court with petitions challenging a now-withdrawn Bar Council of India (BCI) circular that directed state bar councils not to enrol students from the 2026 batch.

The petitions termed the BCI directive "completely illegal" and questioned whether the council's executive committee met before issuing the circular and what specific process it followed.

Alongside the legal petitions, 441 Nalsar graduates issued an open letter to BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra, asserting that voicing dissent is not a criminal offence in India.

A petition filed in the apex court by Nalsar alumna, lawyer, and women's rights activist Mihira Sood contended that the circular reflected a high degree of intolerance among those in positions of power. The plea stated that the BCI has no jurisdiction over the enrolment of advocates or to conduct inquiries into student affairs.

"This is against the Constitution," Sood said, arguing that the impugned letters violated the fundamental rights of students, faculty, and alumni.

A second petition filed by Sood alongside alumnus Abhishek Tewari raised similar issues, stating that the directions issued in the circular were manifestly arbitrary and required an enquiry by the court.