Around 450 students at NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad have urged their administration to reconsider inviting Chief Justice of India Surya Kant as a convocation chief guest [1].
The objection highlights a growing tension between India's future legal professionals and the nation's highest judicial authority over the handling of civil liberties cases.
Students wrote to the university administration expressing their opposition to the invitation [2]. The group cited a specific decision by a Supreme Court bench led by the Chief Justice, which refused to urgently list a plea concerning alleged police brutality [3].
The plea in question related to a 'Chalo Sansad' protest that occurred on July 20, 2024 [4]. Students said the refusal to prioritize the hearing of these allegations makes the Chief Justice an unsuitable guest for their graduation ceremony [3].
NALSAR University of Law is one of India's top legal institutions [5]. The move by the students represents a formal challenge to the administration's choice of guest based on the judicial conduct of the invitee.
Reports indicate the objection letter was submitted around Aug. 10, 2024 [2]. The students said the university should strongly reconsider the invitation in light of the court's actions regarding the July protest [2].
“Around 450 students at NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad have urged their administration to reconsider inviting Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.”
This incident reflects a broader trend of student activism within India's premier legal academies, where academic cohorts are increasingly using their platform to critique the judicial process. By targeting the convocation guest, students are attempting to link the symbolic nature of their graduation with the practical application of human rights and judicial accountability in the Indian legal system.
