Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has become the subject of a notable dispute involving students from multiple leading legal institutions who have requested his removal as chief guest from their upcoming convocation ceremonies.
The controversy intensified on 23 July when dozens of outgoing students from Nalsar University of Law in Hyderabad formally requested that Kant not preside over their passing-out ceremony. The petition gained substantial support, with approximately 450 of the university’s 1,400 students endorsing the position. The students’ objections centered on reports that Kant had dismissed a request for urgent hearings on allegations of police brutality during a 20 July parliamentary march in Delhi, with media accounts quoting him as saying the court lacked time to address the matter. Kant subsequently stated he had been misquoted and clarified that he had not refused to hear the petition, only requested it be filed through proper procedures.
The situation escalated significantly when Bar Council of India Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra threatened to bar Nalsar’s graduating class from professional enrollment and demanded information about students involved in the campaign. This threat prompted widespread backlash from senior lawyers, activists, and Chief Justice Kant himself, who affirmed students’ right to protest and criticized the Bar Council’s involvement. Mishra subsequently withdrew his threat and issued an apology, stating he regretted if his comments had hurt students’ feelings.
The dispute expanded beyond Nalsar when students and alumni from the National Law School of India University in Bengaluru issued an open letter expressing solidarity with Nalsar and similarly requesting that neither Mishra nor Kant be invited to their convocation. Kant announced on Sunday that he had never accepted Nalsar’s invitation, suggesting the chief guest issue may be resolved, though underlying tensions remain.
The broader context involves Kant’s May remarks in court describing unemployed youth as cockroaches and parasites, characterizations that sparked initial anger among student groups. The cumulative effect of these statements and the subsequent handling of student concerns has created significant friction between India’s highest judicial officer and the nation’s law student population.
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