Pressure mounts on BCI chief: Co-Chairperson demands resignation, cites nepotism and fund misuse
Pressure on the Chairperson of the Bar Council of India (BCI), Manan Kumar Mishra, intensified on August 22, 2026, after the body's Co-Chairperson, Y.R. Sadasiva Reddy, demanded his resignation and called for an independent inquiry into a series of allegations concerning the functioning of the statutory body.
The demand came hours before a press conference scheduled by the BCI at its New Delhi office. The council postponed the event, citing the possibility of a large gathering of advocates and concerns over space and media arrangements. The press conference is now expected to be held on August 24.
Mr. Mishra has served as BCI Chairman for over a decade, and his continued tenure faces a fresh legal challenge. A petition was filed before the Supreme Court on August 21 questioning the prolonged occupancy of the post.
The latest controversy traces back to a circular issued by the BCI on August 13, directing State Bar Councils not to enrol graduates of NALSAR University of Law's 2026 batch. This followed objections by students to the participation of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant at their convocation. The directive was withdrawn within hours after widespread criticism from the legal fraternity, and Mr. Mishra later apologised to the students.
Despite the apology, criticism persisted. The Bombay Bar Association on August 18 condemned the handling of the episode, calling the apology "belated" and suggesting that Mr. Mishra should have resigned. Earlier, on August 20, over 200 lawyers gathered outside the BCI office under the banner of the All India Young Advocates Association, demanding reforms in the BCI's election mechanism and greater accountability.
In his letter on August 22, Mr. Reddy urged Mr. Mishra to resign and sought an independent examination of issues related to the council's functioning and financial administration. The letter alleged that a "striking proportion of the staff are persons connected to you personally, several of them being members of, or related to, your own family."
Mr. Reddy also drew attention to the Bar Council of India Trust, which he said had been rendered defunct, with the council's funds diverted to a newly created trust, BCI Trust PEARL-FIRST. He further alleged that law colleges seeking approval or renewal of approval were being asked to make "contributions" to the trust, ranging from ₹25 lakhs to ₹1 crore.
"Persistent and credible complaints have reached me, from more than one State, that managements of new law colleges approaching the Bar Council of India for approval, and managements of existing colleges approaching it for renewal, are being required to make 'contributions' to the said Trust," he wrote.
Mr. Reddy also questioned Mr. Mishra's prolonged tenure, noting that he had held office continuously since 2012 and was returned for a further term in 2025. "This is without precedent. When elections to the office fall due, the arrangements are so managed that the outcome is a foregone conclusion. An elected office that has one occupant for fourteen years has ceased, in any real sense, to be an elected office," the letter said.
The BCI is a statutory body established under the Advocates Act, 1961, and is responsible for regulating the legal profession in India. Its role includes setting standards for legal education, regulating the conduct of advocates, and protecting the rights and interests of lawyers. Allegations of financial irregularities and nepotism, if substantiated, could have far-reaching implications for the credibility of the institution.
As of now, Mr. Mishra has not publicly responded to the specific allegations in Mr. Reddy's letter, apart from his earlier apology regarding the NALSAR circular. The developments come amid growing scrutiny of the BCI's functioning and demands for internal reforms from various quarters of the legal community.
