NALSAR Student Bar Council Condemns BCI Move to Block 2026 Batch Enrolments

The Student Bar Council (SBC) of NALSAR University of Law has strongly condemned actions taken by Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairman and Member of Parliament Manan Kumar Mishra, who initially issued a blanket restriction preventing the university's outgoing 2026 batch from enrolling with any State Bar Council.

The student body issued an official statement after midnight on Friday, August 14, 2026, following the BCI's directives issued on Thursday, August 13, 2026. The Council condemned the measures on statutory, constitutional, first-principles, and broader social grounds, presenting a detailed legal rebuttal against the regulatory body's decision.

In its statement, the SBC questioned the BCI's reliance on multiple sections of the Advocates Act. The council argued that the statutory provisions cited by the BCI do not grant authority to enforce blanket restrictions on the enrolment of an entire graduating class.

The student council also stated that the BCI's citation of the 2002 Supreme Court ruling in Ex-Capt. Harish Uppal v. Union of India—which held that advocates have no right to strike or boycott court proceedings—was fundamentally misplaced in this context. The SBC asserted that Section 49 of the Advocates Act functions merely as a rule-making provision and cannot serve as an independent source of substantive power to introduce new disabilities, restrictions, or conditions for enrolment beyond what Parliament has legislated.

Beyond statutory arguments, the SBC expressed serious privacy concerns regarding the proposed identification of students, faculty members, alumni, research scholars, and external participants.

Invoking Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution along with Supreme Court observations on dissent and peaceful protest, the Council rejected the premise that constitutional fidelity requires silence. It emphasised that universities bear a duty to safeguard independent thought and criticism of authority.

Highlighting Mr. Mishra's political position and pointing to wider concerns regarding repression and unfreedom, the SBC demanded an apology from the BCI Chairman for the language used against members of the NALSAR community. Concluding with references to Independence Day and constitutional promises of liberty and democratic dissent, the council expressed gratitude to the NALSAR administration, its alumni, and the broader legal and social fraternity.