About 450 students at NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad are opposing the invitation of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant as a convocation chief guest [1].
The protest highlights a growing tension between India's highest judicial authority and the law students who will eventually enter that legal system. By challenging the presence of the CJI, the students are questioning whether the judiciary's current rhetoric aligns with the constitutional principles they are taught in the classroom.
Students from the outgoing LLB and LLM batches submitted letters to the university administration in early August 2024 [2]. They asked the university to reconsider the invitation based on remarks the Chief Justice made on July 22, 2024 [2].
The students said the remarks conflict with university values and constitutional principles. Specifically, they objected to the Chief Justice telling petitioners not to waste the court's time and likening Indian youth to cockroaches [3, 4].
NALSAR is one of India's premier law schools, and the convocation serves as a formal transition for students into the legal profession. The students said the CJI's comments defy the law [5].
This movement includes a significant portion of the graduating class, as the number of students opposing the invitation reached approximately 450 [1]. The students argue that the dignity of the convocation ceremony should be maintained by inviting a guest who respects student activism, and the right to protest.
“About 450 students at NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad are opposing the invitation of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.”
This clash reflects a broader struggle over the boundaries of judicial temperament and the right to dissent in India. When students at a top law university formally distance themselves from the head of the judiciary, it suggests a deepening ideological rift regarding how the courts should engage with youth-led activism and the protection of civil liberties.
