Overview
- The Bar Council of India sought on August 14 to halt enrolment of the 2026 NALSAR batch, prompting petitions that the Supreme Court flagged for consideration.
- In an oral mention on August 14 the Chief Justice defended the students' right to protest and warned against punitive action by the BCI, an intervention that has so far not produced a final court order.
- On Saturday August 15 CJI Surya Kant hoisted the flag at the Supreme Court and used Independence Day addresses to reiterate the rule of law, equality and the judiciary's role as guardian of the Constitution.
- The CJI linked today's duties of the Bar to its role in the freedom struggle, credited lawyers with expanding Article 21 protections such as dignity, a clean environment and free legal aid, and urged young lawyers to accept responsibility with promised mentorship from the Bar and Bench.
- The court's public protection of protest rights and the CJI's call for mentorship could change how professional regulation and student dissent are handled, with immediate consequences for NALSAR graduates' ability to enrol and longer‑term effects on Bar‑Bench relations.