BENGALURU: The National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru has cancelled its 34th Annual Convocation for the 2026 graduating batch, bringing an end to plans for an in-person ceremony scheduled for September 12. The university communicated the decision to graduating students through an official notice dated August 27, 2026.
The university has also made arrangements for graduates to receive their certificates despite the cancellation of the physical ceremony.
Students will reportedly have two options: they can receive their certificates by courier or collect them from the NLSIU campus. The university said it will share a new form and the process with graduating students to allow them to indicate their preferred option.
The development means that the graduating batch will receive formal recognition of their degrees even though the traditional convocation ceremony will not take place.
According to the notice, the university had informed students on August 3 about September 12 as the proposed date for the Annual Convocation. However, despite its efforts, NLSIU said it was unable to conduct the ceremony due to “unavoidable circumstances.”
The cancellation, however, will not affect the conferring of degrees. NLSIU has stated that all graduating students will be conferred their degrees in absentia, subject to the required approvals from the university's governing bodies.
Importantly, the official NLSIU notice does not specify the circumstances behind the cancellation. It only cites “unavoidable circumstances” as the reason for being unable to hold the 34th Annual Convocation.
The cancellation comes amid a separate controversy surrounding the proposed participation of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Bar Council of India Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra at the ceremony. More than 700 NLSIU students and alumni had reportedly raised objections to their attendance, according to a report by Bar & Bench.
However, the university's August 27 notice does not state that the student objections were the reason for cancelling the convocation. Therefore, the two developments should not be presented as directly linked unless NLSIU provides further clarification.