Bengaluru: “The aristocracy of intellect grows when you share for a cause,” remarked Dipak Misra, Chief Justice of India, while addressing fresh law graduates here in the city on Sunday.
While delivering the Presidential Address as the Chancelllor of the varsity, he further advised the Batch of 2018 of National Law School of India University (NLSIU) to use their skills and knowledge capital towards ensuring justice and welfare for the marginalised and for the poor.
“Degrees from prestigious institutions churn jobs in offices when towering reputation and abundance of power at command might sound like dream-come-true. But at the other end, you will find that the doors of inner peace and tranquility closed for keeping all goodness to yourself ignoring the cries of many who still live under the mercy of the rich and powerful,” he noted.
Justice Misra added that ‘uncommon common sense’ is an asset for a lawyer.
He also urged the graduates to concentrate on facts, law and reasoning maintaining proper ethics, rather than engaging in aggressive advocacy.
As many as 572 degrees were given away during the ceremony in which former CJI M.N. Venkatachaliah was the chief guest.
‘Right to be left alone is great’
During his Convocation Address, Justice Venkatachaliah said, “The right to be left alone is a great right,” citing the recent landmark Supreme Court judgment on Section 377.
He also pointed out that India’s potential for growth in the field of technology and to provide leadership for a great transformation is infinite. “The world now is not divided by ideology but by technology. While only 15% of the world is technologically innovative, 35% of the world is able to absorb innovation. The rest 50% is technologically excluded. The great power of technology, unlike a barrel of oil, is available for all, becoming cheaper as it is used,” he said.
He exhorted the graduates to be part of building a new India for a just and caring social order. “You can repay the debt to noble parents, teachers and mentors by contributing towards advancement of human welfare,” he said.
Auditorium for NLSIU
CJI Misra also announced on Sunday that the state government has committed towards funding the varsity to build their own auditorium with capacity to host grand events like the annual convocation in future.
“Ministers for Law and Parliamentary Affairs (Krishna Byre Gowda) and Higher Education (G.T. Devegowda) have accepted that they will finance the entire amount to build an auditorium in the (Nagarbhavi) campus,” he said.
Earlier during the event, NLSIU Vice-Chancellor R. Venkata Rao requested Justice Misra to take the initiative using his good offices to recognise and establish Institutions of Excellence in legal education. “Let the initiative begin with NLSIU which has secured the top rank in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) and many other rankings,” he suggested.
Two girls win 13 gold medals each
Fresh graduates Bhuvanyaa Vijay and Shraddha Gome bagged 13 gold medals each as they graduated from the premier law institute in the country on Sunday.
As many as 50 gold medals (40 from undergraduate programmes, nine from post graduate courses and one for Distance Education course) were awarded during the event that took place at Dr Babu Rajendra Prasad International Convention Centre, University of Agricultural Sciences (GKVK).
