HYDERABAD: A total of 440 alumni of the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) University of Law have signed an open letter condemning the Bar Council of India’s (BCI) communications seeking action against students and faculty over their opposition to the invitation of the Chief Justice of India as chief guest for the university’s convocation.
The controversy erupted after the BCI on Thursday directed State Bar Councils to defer the enrolment of NALSAR’s 2026 graduates as advocates and sought a factual report from the university identifying those allegedly involved in organising and mobilising the campaign. The enrolment restriction was subsequently withdrawn, and the BCI later announced that proceedings against the 2026 batch had been closed.
In their open letter to BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra, the alumni accused the regulator of disregarding free speech, students’ mental health and university autonomy. They said the matter was internal to NALSAR and questioned the BCI’s jurisdiction to intervene.
The alumni said the BCI’s approach reflected a lack of empathy towards students and disregard for the fundamental right to free speech, describing it as arbitrary and high-handed.
They maintained that the BCI’s role in legal education was limited to promoting legal education and laying down standards, and that it had no role in regulating free speech on university campuses or initiating disciplinary inquiries against students and faculty without notice or a hearing.
They also objected to the language used in the first BCI letter, which allegedly accused students and faculty of “groupism”, “dirty politics”, “nasty politics” and of “instigating and misguiding students”. The alumni said drafting and circulating a representation, organising meetings, coordinating participation and communicating with the media were protected forms of free speech.
The BCI letters made it appear as though students and faculty were involved in a criminal conspiracy, the alumni said, adding that voicing dissent was not a criminal offence in India. They stressed that universities must provide space for free inquiry and debate, particularly in legal education, and urged the BCI to address disagreements through dialogue rather than coercion.
The open letter carries signatures from alumni belonging to batches ranging from 2003 to 2025, with the document recording 440 signatories.
Meanwhile, in its reply to the BCI, NALSAR has decided to place before its Executive Council the regulator’s request for an inquiry into persons allegedly involved in the recent developments surrounding the university’s upcoming convocation, said NALSAR Vice-Chancellor Prof Srikrishna Deva Rao.
“Given the nature of the request, the university will have to consider whether conducting such an inquiry will be a constitutional exercise of its powers,” Rao said. He added that the matter would be placed before the executive council, the university’s highest decision-making body, to assess whether such an inquiry would be constitutional and permissible under its governance regulations.
“Once the process of consultation with the executive council is completed, the same will be communicated to the Bar Council of India,” he said.