NLSIU Bengaluru will hold its 34th annual convocation on October 17, the university has informed students, ending uncertainty after the ceremony scheduled for September 12 was cancelled amid a dispute over the participation of the Chief Justice of India and the Bar Council of India chief.
The university did not explicitly confirm whether the CJI will attend the rescheduled ceremony. The announcement followed a meeting of NLSIU’s executive council and general council, which approved the proposal to conduct the convocation in October. The councils are chaired by the CJI in the capacity of Chancellor of the university.
“Chaired by the hon’ble Chief Justice of India in his capacity as Chancellor of the University, approved the proposal and resolved to hold the 34th Annual Convocation on October 17,” the university said in an email to students, according to a report by The Times of India.
The earlier convocation was cancelled after a dispute emerged over the proposed participation of the CJI and the Bar Council of India chief. The graduating batch had expressed support for students at Hyderabad’s National Academy of Legal Studies and Research and raised concerns about the proposed attendance of the two dignitaries at the ceremony.
The university’s latest decision provides for all graduating students to receive their degrees formally on the day, either in person or in absentia. NLSIU has asked students to inform the administration of their preferred option and has annulled earlier notifications governing the process of awarding the degrees.
The alumni association is understood to have played a role in facilitating discussions between the university, graduating students and other stakeholders. In a letter, the governing board of the association said it had held talks with the university and the CJI regarding the convocation. The association said its office-bearers were received by the CJI and that the discussions recognised the importance of the graduating students’ expectations.
“During meetings with the CJI, office-bearers were received with warmth and accorded a cordial and attentive audience. There was a shared recognition that the larger interests, aspirations, and legitimate expectations of the graduating students must remain paramount,” the alumni association said.
The association also said it had consulted graduating students across programmes to understand their views on holding the ceremony. It reported that the overwhelming sentiment was that receiving degrees at a formal convocation remained significant for students and their families. That position was conveyed to the CJI, it said.
The university acknowledged the alumni association’s engagement and thanked the administration, graduating students and the wider alumni community for their cooperation. The October 17 ceremony is now the scheduled occasion for the formal conferral of degrees, subject to the arrangements communicated by the university to students.
