A section of outgoing students at the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) University, Hyderabad, has objected to the invitation extended to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant to preside over the university’s 2026 convocation ceremony.
Students from the Batch of 2026 wrote to the Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, faculty members and other university authorities, urging them to reconsider the decision to invite the CJI as the chief guest.
In their letter, the students raised concerns over recent judicial developments, including remarks attributed to the Chief Justice regarding the Jantar Mantar protest and his alleged comparison of Indian youth to cockroaches.
“We, the undersigned students of [redacted] (2025-2026), share the concerns of the graduating batch regarding inviting the Hon’ble CJI, Justice Surya Kant, as our convocation’s Chief Guest,” the letter stated.
The students alleged that the CJI had displayed apathy towards young people through remarks they considered insensitive.
“From referring to the youth as ‘cockroaches’ to making insensitive statements about not having time to watch videos of police brutality, the CJI has shown apathy towards students like us. Inviting him to our college to hand us degrees that hold so much academic and emotional importance does not sit right with us,” the letter added.
The students argued that inviting the Chief Justice under the circumstances would be inconsistent with the values of constitutional accountability and academic freedom. They urged the university administration to reconsider the decision.
“We request the University Administration to reconsider its proposal to extend the invitation to the Hon’ble CJI, and hope that the University treat this as a shared concern across the graduating cohorts rather than one raised by a single batch,” the letter concluded.
TISS Postponed Convocation Amid Fears of Protests
The development comes nearly two weeks after the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, postponed its 86th convocation, which had been scheduled for August 2. The decision was announced less than two days before the ceremony.
The last-minute postponement came amid concerns over security arrangements and apprehensions that possible protests could disrupt the event. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant was expected to attend the ceremony as the chief guest.
In a communication to students, TISS cited “unforeseen circumstances” as the reason for postponing the convocation. The institute did not officially link the decision to the proposed visit of the CJI or to any potential protests.
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However, officials and students familiar with the developments said there were concerns that protests associated with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement could affect the event. India Today could not independently verify whether those apprehensions were directly responsible for the postponement.
The decision disappointed several graduating students, particularly those who had already made arrangements to attend the ceremony. Some students said they had booked travel and accommodation for their parents and other relatives who were expected to be present at the convocation.