Supreme Court Judge Ujjal Bhuyan Praises NALSAR Law Students in Hyderabad
Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan on Sunday praised students of the NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad as "brilliant, bold and brave" while delivering the valedictory address at the 19th NALSAR-Justice BR Sawhney Memorial Moot Court Competition.
Addressing the gathering, Justice Bhuyan commended the students for exemplifying what university students, particularly those studying law, should be. He also lauded the university's faculty members for performing their duties admirably, as well as Vice-Chancellor Professor Srikrishna Deva Rao. Justice Bhuyan, who served as NALSAR's ex-officio chancellor during his tenure as Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court in 2022-23, noted that Rao was appointed during his chancellorship and had led the institution without letting down teachers or students.
The commendation came weeks after NALSAR's graduating batch encountered disciplinary threats from the Bar Council of India (BCI). Although Justice Bhuyan did not directly mention the dispute during his speech, the controversy had erupted in August when a section of the graduating class opposed a proposed invitation to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant as the convocation chief guest, citing remarks made during court hearings concerning alleged police excesses against protesters in Delhi.
Following the student protest, BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra had instructed state bar councils to withhold the enrolment of graduates from NALSAR's 2026 batch until further orders. Mishra also directed Vice-Chancellor Rao to identify students, faculty members, researchers, and alumni connected to the campaign. In response, Rao stated that the university would evaluate the legal validity of the BCI directives and submit the matter to its Executive Council before initiating any inquiry.
The BCI subsequently withdrew the enrolment directive hours after issuance, with Mishra announcing that all proceedings against the batch had been dropped. On August 14, the Supreme Court ordered that no punitive action be initiated against NALSAR students or faculty members. The top court later ruled that the BCI lacked statutory authority to take disciplinary action against law students and declared its communications regarding the NALSAR graduates to be without authority of law.
Prior to his remarks on the students, Justice Bhuyan spoke on the right to vote, observing that any process resulting in the disenfranchisement of millions of citizens is intrinsically arbitrary and cannot be condoned by courts. He concluded the segment by quoting jurist Nani Palkhivala on the necessity of each generation defending and fighting for freedom.
