Manan Kumar Mishra, a senior advocate and BJP Rajya Sabha member who has headed the Bar Council of India (BCI) for over a decade, recently found himself at the centre of a controversy after the council directed state bar…

Manan Kumar Mishra, a senior advocate and BJP Rajya Sabha member who has headed the Bar Council of India (BCI) for over a decade, recently found himself at the centre of a controversy after the council directed state bar councils not to enrol NALSAR University of Law’s 2026 graduates.The BCI, the apex statutory body under the Advocates Act, regulates the legal profession and education, supervises state bar councils, and sets standards of professional conduct. Enrolment of advocates, however, remains primarily the responsibility of the respective state bar councils.Hailing from Gopalganj in Bihar, Mishra completed his BSc (Honours) at Rajendra College, Chapra, and his LLB at Patna Law College, where he was a gold medallist.He began practice at the Gopalganj Civil Court before moving to the Patna High Court in 1982 and later establishing himself as a senior advocate in the Supreme Court from 2009. Mishra has chaired the BCI almost continuously since November 2014 and was re-elected for a record seventh consecutive term in 2025.A bold Bar begets a bold Bench: NALSAR, NLSIU and fight for independence of lawyers and judiciaryHe contested the 2010 Bihar Assembly election on a Congress ticket after an earlier BSP foray, before joining the BJP, which sent him to the Rajya Sabha in 2024.The controversy erupted after a section of NALSAR students opposed the proposed invitation to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant as chief guest at the university’s convocation, citing his remarks during a hearing on alleged police excesses against student and youth protesters in Delhi.The Mishra-led BCI directed state bar councils on August 13 not to enrol any 2026 NALSAR graduate and sought a report identifying those behind the campaign, alleging faculty “groupism” and instigation of students. The order drew widespread criticism and was later modified and withdrawn.Mishra then announced the closure of proceedings after the council concluded that the students had “no role in any disturbance or movement”. The Supreme Court criticised the BCI’s intervention as unnecessary and affirmed students’ right to peaceful protest.On Independence Day, Mishra apologised, saying peaceful disagreement, questioning and protest were important features of a constitutional democracy. “An expression of regret is not a matter of prestige or ego. It is simply an acknowledgement that the feelings and concerns of our students matter,” he said.He, however, rejected calls for his resignation, including from bar associations and BCI Co-Chairman Y R Sadasiva Reddy. He also hit back at Reddy, calling the demand for his resignation a “political stunt”.

Source: Deccan Herald