From Gopalganj court to Rajya Sabha as BJP MP: Who is Bar Council chief Manan Kumar Mishra

When the Bar Council of India issued a directive barring the entire 2026 graduating batch of NALSAR University of Law from enrolling as advocates, it took less than 24 hours for the statutory regulator to retreat under severe public and judicial backlash.

At the epicenter of this storm was Manan Kumar Mishra, a veteran advocate and politician who has held an unprecedented grip over India's legal education and advocate regulation for over a decade.

Born into a family in the Gopalganj district of Bihar, Manan Kumar Mishra completed his early schooling locally before pursuing higher education at Rajendra College in Chapra, where he earned a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree. Moving on to legal studies at Patna Law College, Patna University, Mishra stood out academically and graduated as the gold medalist of his batch.

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He initiated his legal career in 1982, practicing at the Gopalganj Civil Court and the Patna High Court. Over nearly three decades, Mishra built a formidable practice handling diverse civil and constitutional matters in Bihar. In 2009, he shifted his primary practice to New Delhi, subsequently establishing himself as a Senior Advocate in the Supreme Court of India.

Electoral politics & journey to Rajya Sabha 

Parallel to his court craft, Mishra pursued political aspirations across multiple party lines:

• 2009 General Elections: Contested the Valmiki Nagar Lok Sabha seat in Bihar on a Bahujan Samaj Party ticket. 
• 2010 Assembly Elections: Contested from the Baikunthpur constituency in Gopalganj on an Indian National Congress ticket. 
• 2014-Present: Joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, aligning his regulatory oversight with active party work. 
• August 2024: Nominated by the BJP for the Rajya Sabha by-election from Bihar — necessitated by Misa Bharti's election to the Lok Sabha — and elected unopposed to the Upper House of Parliament. 

Record 12-year regulatory reign

Mishra first assumed office as Chairman of the Bar Council of India in April 2012, serving continuously except for a brief seven-month interregnum in 2014 when Biri Singh Sinsinwar headed the body. Returning to the helm on November 9, 2014, Mishra secured successive re-elections, culminating in a historic seventh term in early 2025.

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Under his leadership, the BCI expanded its traditional mandate of setting legal education standards and regulating advocate enrollments. The council frequently issued administrative directives on socio-political developments, courtroom etiquette, and national debates — ranging from seeking court holidays for major religious events to defending judicial institutions during public controversies.

NALSAR convocation row

The latest controversy erupted when a section of students at NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, organized a campaign opposing the university's invitation to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant to attend their convocation as chief guest. The student objection stemmed from judicial observations made during a hearing regarding police action against student protesters in Delhi.

In response, Mishra issued a sweeping circular on behalf of the BCI:

1. Nationwide Enrolment Freeze: Directed all State Bar Councils across India to suspend the advocate enrolment of the entire 2026 NALSAR graduating batch pending an inquiry. 
2. Factional Allegations: Accused university faculty members of "groupism" and instigating students to intimidate a constitutional functionary. 
3. Fact-Finding Mandate: Demanded a comprehensive report from NALSAR leadership identifying specific organizers behind the campaign. 

Reversal & Judicial criticism 

The BCI's collective penalty provoked sharp resistance from legal scholars, student bodies, and prominent members of the bar, who criticized the order as an overreach that punished an entire graduating class.

Within 24 hours, Mishra executed a multi-stage reversal: first modifying the directive to allow pending enrolments during inquiry, and subsequently dropping all disciplinary proceedings after concluding that the graduating students bore no direct responsibility for the disturbance.

The issue escalated to the Supreme Court, where a bench headed by CJI Surya Kant himself critiqued the BCI's premature intervention. The court questioned the statutory authority of the council to interfere in internal university administration and affirmed the fundamental right of law students to voice peaceful dissent.