Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, delivered a valedictory address on Sunday, lauding NALSAR University of Law students for their brilliance, boldness and bravery amid a recent Bar Council of India dispute.
Earlier this month, BCI chairman Manan Kumar Mishra had ordered state bar councils not to enroll any graduate from NALSAR's 2026 cohort until further notice, following a student protest over Chief Justice Surya Kant's planned convocation appearance.
The Supreme Court, in a ruling on August 14, declared the BCI lacked statutory authority to discipline law students, nullifying its enrolment ban and affirming that no punitive action would be taken against the NALSAR cohort.
Bhuyan also praised the university’s faculty and Vice‑Chancellor Srikrishna Deva Rao, noting their leadership during the controversy; the judge added that NALSAR students had shown the nation what legal education should strive for.
NALSAR will examine the BCI directive’s legality and submit a report to its Executive Council before any inquiry; senior protest leader Anjali Rao said the Supreme Court’s backing gave her group renewed confidence.
The university’s Executive Council will review the order, while the Supreme Court stands ready to act if further disputes erupt.