NLSIU Convocation 2026: Bengaluru Law University Sets October 17 Date
NLSIU has rescheduled its 34th annual convocation for October 17 after cancelling the earlier September ceremony following student and alumni opposition.
The National Law School of India University in Bengaluru will hold its 34th annual convocation on October 17, 2026, after cancelling the ceremony that was originally scheduled for September 12. The university had earlier cited unavoidable circumstances for the cancellation.
The new date was approved during the 107th meeting of the Executive Council and the 40th meeting of the General Council held on September 9. The meetings were chaired by the Chief Justice of India in his capacity as Chancellor of the university.
In an email to students, the university Registrar said the governing bodies had approved the proposal to conduct the annual convocation on October 17. All graduating students will formally receive their degrees on the date, either in person or in absentia.
The university said a detailed programme schedule and other instructions related to the ceremony would be communicated separately. The new arrangement restores an in-person convocation option for graduating students while retaining the provision for degrees to be conferred in absentia.
The earlier cancellation came after opposition from students and alumni regarding the proposed participation of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Bar Council of India Chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra. The controversy was linked to student concerns surrounding a BCI order concerning the enrolment of students at NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad.
In a statement issued in August, NLSIU students and alumni criticised the now-withdrawn BCI order and expressed solidarity with students at NALSAR. They also referred to their concerns over the treatment of protesting students in Delhi.
The latest communication from NLSIU does not clarify whether the Chief Justice of India will attend the October 17 ceremony. The university had previously said that graduating students would receive their degrees in absentia after the necessary approvals from its governing bodies.
With the new decision, October 17 has been established as the date for both the annual convocation and the formal conferment of degrees to the graduating batch.
