BENGALURU: Days after controversy over inviting the Chief Justice of India for convocations at law colleges, Bengaluru’s National Law School of India University (NLSIU) Thursday announced it is cancelling its Sept 12 convocation due to “unavoidable circumstances”. Students will now receive degrees in absentia.The decision comes barely weeks after hundreds of NLSIU students and alumni opposed Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Bar Council of India chairman Manan Kumar Mishra attending their convocation. The students had also supported their counterparts from Nalsar University of Law, Hyderabad, over the choice of Chief Justice of India as chief guest at the latter’s event.The CJI is the university’s chancellor and Bar Council chairman is chairman of the general council. It is a norm that CJI attends NLSIU convocation every year.In an earlier statement signed by 165 graduating students, they had maintained, “Inviting persons in high office to confer degrees on students towards whom they had publicly expressed disdain and condescension is offensive, humiliating and a mockery of students and their struggles.”On Thursday morning, the varsity mail sent out to students said: “On Aug 3, the academic administration team had emailed the graduating students with advance notice of Sept 12 as the proposed date for the annual convocation. Despite our collective best efforts, due to unavoidable circumstances, we are unable to hold the 34th convocation.”Later, the university sent out another mail detailing how to collect the degrees in absentia. Now, students can choose to receive certificates by courier or at campus. NLSIU had not conducted a convocation during the Covid years of 2020 and 2021.Asked whether the convocation was called off because of the chief guest issue, a university spokesperson said: “No. We’d like to retain the reason for cancellation as ‘unavoidable circumstances’. The decision was made in consultation with the governing bodies, chancellor, and students.”“It was clear it wouldn’t happen as a solemn ceremony. The students will still get their certificates, without a ceremony,” he added.Denying rumours, the spokesperson said students were not asked to retract their statement. “There was no punitive or disciplinary action against students. As an institute, we encourage freedom of speech and expression.”Bharat Chugh, a Supreme Court advocate, said that the degree belongs to the student, not to the dignitary conferring it. “Convocation or no convocation, NLSIU batch of 2026 should celebrate this ‘in-absentia’ granted degree, with its head held high, mind without fear, and as a badge of honour,” he posted on X.
