The students of NALSAR University of Law, located in Hyderabad, have officially made a request to the university authorities regarding rethinking the decision of making the CJI (Chief Justice of India) Surya Kant the chief guest at their upcoming convocation ceremony.
A petition was filed on July 23 by around 70 students who are set to graduate in 2026 against attending the convocation ceremony in the presence of CJI Surya Kant. This move goes against a tradition of inviting the Chief Justice as the keynote speaker at the university.
The students' objection stems from the CJI's refusal to initiate suo motu proceedings following reports of police violence against demonstrators at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. During those events, police and Rapid Action Force personnel allegedly subjected protesting students to baton charges, electric batons, physical harassment, and pellet fire. Citing the CJI's reported courtroom response — “We are not interested in videos. We don’t have time to watch them. Don’t waste our time, and don’t waste your time”— the signatories, including members of the Students Bar Council, argued that such conduct undermines core legal principles.
It is important to mention that according to the petition, a convocation ceremony should be an embodiment of the university’s dedication to constitutional rights, public accountability, and a fair hearing process. The petition also points out the fact that acceptance of the degrees from the dignitary who seems indifferent about the claims related to the violence of the state does not conform to the values that have been inculcated during their legal education. The movement got popularised very fast on the campus; there were already 380 supporters among the students of the years 2027-2031.
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