Mangaluru: Just two days before its 86th annual convocation, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) abruptly postponed the ceremony, citing “unforeseen circumstances”. The convocation was scheduled for August 2 and Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant was scheduled as the chief guest, with acting Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court Justice Ravindra Ghuge as the distinguished guest. The institute’s registrar sent an email after midnight on Thursday (around 12:50 am) announcing the postponement. In the email, the registrar wrote: “We sincerely regret to inform you that, due to unforeseen circumstances, TISS’s 86th Convocation, scheduled for August 2, 2026, has been postponed. We understand the significance of this occasion for our graduating students, families, faculty, and staff, and we deeply appreciate your understanding and patience as we work through the situation. We will share the revised date and further details at the earliest. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your continued support.”Although the institute had not announced CJI Surya Kant’s name as chief guest in public, it was known to the student community internally. Several students say the last minute cancellation came only because the management feared backlash protests at the convocation event. The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) movement arose following remarks by Justice Surya Kant calling a section of unemployed young Indians “cockroaches”. Although the CJI had later said that he was intentionally quoted out of context, the damage was already done. A movement that was triggered in the month of May led to country wide protests and subsequent resignation of union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The Wire has reported how the Justice H.R. Khanna Memorial Lecture, which was to take place on July 28 and had the CJI as its chief guest was postponed.According to media reports the CJI was also invited for the convocation ceremony at OP Jindal university which he had reportedly declined to preside over. Several students The Wire spoke to confirmed that police personnel have been visiting the campus over the past few days. They claimed that the police possibly suspected that students could demonstrate against the CJI. Some students said that their families had travelled from far away or had booked non-refundable travel tickets and made other arrangements to attend the convocation.The Progressive Students’ Forum, an informal students’ group on campus has criticised the late notice and the broader impact of delays, demanding accountability and either the original schedule or immediate issuance of degree certificates and documents.