Supreme Court rules Bar Council lacks power to discipline law students in Nalsar case

On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled that the Bar Council of India lacks any statutory power to oversee law students' conduct, nullifying two notifications targeting Nalsar University of Law’s 2026 cohort. The dispute originated when students objected to Chief Justice Surya Kant’s invitation to the university’s convocation, citing his remarks on a July 20 protest as contrary to constitutional values. In response, Bar Council chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra ordered state bar councils to refuse enrollment of the affected graduates and sought a report identifying protest organizers.

The move was condemned as arbitrary by legal figures such as Supreme Court Bar Association president Vikas Singh, prompting the Bar Council to withdraw the ban within hours and allow enrollment pending an inquiry. The Supreme Court’s decision emphasizes the limits of the Bar Council’s regulatory reach over student activism.