NEW DELHI: Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra on Friday clarified the Council has withdrawn its order concerning judicial internships following an emergency meeting, saying that no inquiry will be initiated.Mishra said the BCI’s primary objective was to ensure that law students face no obstacles or loss of opportunities while seeking internships in the judiciary.“An order was issued yesterday, but the Council’s meeting was held immediately. The Council discussed it and said, ‘No, there is no need for this’. Actually, the intention is that no student should face any loss in getting an internship in the judiciary. Sometimes, we have seen in the past that due to certain reasons, the judiciary posed obstacles for students regarding internships,” he said, as cited by news agency ANI.Mishra added that BCI’s interests are aligned with the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) Abhijeet Dipke and Saurav Das.“The Bar Council of India aims to protect the interests of the youth of India. I want to communicate to Abhijeet Dipke and Das (Sourav Das) that our interests are the same as theirs, to protect the rights of the students,” he said.“There will be no inquiry; there will be no inquiry whatsoever, nothing of the sort will happen. We have wished the students well for their bright futures,” he added.Mishra also reaffirmed the BCI’s commitment to strengthening ties between the legal fraternity, the judiciary and aspiring lawyers, ensuring that students can pursue their training without obstacles or hardship.“My belief is that students should not face any hardship during their internships. I will coordinate from everywhere so that the judiciary remains happy, the students remain happy, and no one suffers any loss. With this objective in mind, the order was completely withdrawn last night following the meeting. There will be no inquiry, and no blow will be dealt to the students’ interests,” he said.The latest order modifies an earlier BCI directive that had raised concerns over an alleged campaign at NALSAR linked to the proposed participation of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant at the university’s convocation.
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The BCI had initially sought a factual inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the campaign and the individuals allegedly involved in initiating or organising it. The inquiry was intended to determine whether any individual or group had engaged in conduct warranting further statutory action.The Council has now clarified that the 2026 graduating batch should not be denied entry into the legal profession over allegations concerning the conduct of some individuals.Under the latest decision, NALSAR’s 2026 graduates can proceed with their enrolment before the State Bar Councils of their choice. The factual inquiry into the controversy surrounding the convocation-related campaign, however, will continue.
