Nalsar row: SC strikes down BCI orders, says it has 'no statutory power to regulate conduct of students' - The Times of India

**Supreme Court nullifies Bar Council of India’s attempt to discipline NALSAR students**

New Delhi – In a decisive ruling on the long‑running dispute between NALSAR University of Law and the Bar Council of India (BCI), the Supreme Court struck down the council’s orders that sought to penalise a group of law students for their participation in campus protests. The apex court held that the BCI “has no statutory power to regulate the conduct of students,” and therefore cannot impose disciplinary measures on individuals enrolled in law colleges. The judgment, delivered by a two‑judge bench, invalidated the BCI’s directive that NALSAR withdraw the registration of the students’ law‑society and that the university take punitive action against the activists.

The controversy began in early 2023 when a faction of NALSAR students organised demonstrations against alleged administrative lapses and demanded greater transparency in university governance. In response, the BCI issued a notice to NALSAR, instructing the institution to “ensure that the errant students are reprimanded” and to suspend the student union’s recognition. The BCI argued that, under the Advocates Act, 1961, it possessed the authority to oversee the conduct of law graduates and aspirants. However, the Supreme Court observed that the Act empowers the council only to regulate *advocates*—individuals who have already enrolled as members of a State Bar Council—and does not extend to “students who have not yet been admitted to practice.” Consequently, the Court held that the BCI’s orders were ultra vires and could not be enforced.

Legal scholars and university officials welcomed the verdict as a reinforcement of academic autonomy and a clarification of the BCI’s jurisdiction. The NALSAR Vice‑Chancellor hailed the decision as “a vindication of the right of students to express dissent without fear of extrajudicial sanction.” Meanwhile, the BCI has signalled its intent to review its regulatory framework to avoid future overreach. Observers note that the ruling may set a precedent for similar disputes across India’s law schools, prompting a re‑examination of the balance between professional oversight and student freedoms.