Democracy invests in higher education so that graduates may govern themselves well: CJI
Chandigarh (PTI): A democracy does not invest in higher education so that its graduates may simply prosper, it does so to ensure that they govern themselves well, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant said on Saturday.
"Every institution of public life -- the courts, the civil services, the schools, the hospitals, the local governance bodies -- all depend for their quality on the calibre of the people who choose to serve within them," the CJI said while addressing the 12th convocation ceremony of the Central University of Haryana in Mahendragarh.
Justice Kant said in barely 17 years, the university has earned national accreditation and recognition for its swift growth.
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He told the gathering of students that the degrees conferred on them certify the knowledge they have acquired and they should be proud of it but at the same time, he emphasised that "what your degree does not certify, and no examination can measure -- how your character and judgment hold up once the structure of formal education is no longer around you. In my experience, this ultimately determines the trajectory of life".
The CJI said there are graduates of the most-celebrated institutions who have faltered under pressure, not because they lacked knowledge but because they were never tested by anything other than a school or college examination.
"And then there are professionals from institutions nobody has heard of, who rise with composure and seriousness, earning the confidence of every room they enter," he said.
So what is the distinguishing factor then, he asked the students.
"In my view, it has nothing to do with the talent one may display in the classroom and almost everything to do with upbringing.
"Those who grew up observing their families manage scarcity with dignity, who understood early on that the world does not rearrange itself for your convenience and who entered professional life already knowing that hard work is not just a phase but a permanent state, they carried something that no curriculum can teach. They carried a seriousness that was not performative but genuine," Justice Kant said.
Many of the students present on the occasion carry exactly this formation, he said.
"You grew up in homes where a university degree was not a given but a goal that the entire family organised itself around. The investment by your families was not made so that you could merely earn a comfortable living.
"It was made because they believed, even if they could not always articulate it, that an educated daughter or son would use what they learned to build something beyond themselves," the CJI said.
This belief is the bridge between "what your upbringing gave you and what the world is now entitled to expect from you", he told the students.
The CJI said it is often discussed what education provides to an individual.
It opens doors, boosts earning potential and enhances mobility, he said, adding that however, there is a fundamental question that a congregation at a central university should address.
"What does your education owe to the society that funded it? The resources that build these classrooms, the resources that paid your faculty and the resources that maintained the laboratories where you trained came from the public exchequer. Which means they were derived from citizens' earnings and taxes, many of whom will never set foot in a university themselves," he said.
"This fact creates an obligation. Not a sentimental one, but a structural one. A democracy does not invest in higher education so that its graduates may simply prosper. It invests so that they may govern themselves well...," Justice Kant said.
In the Ramayana, when Bharat was handed the throne of Ayodhya by his father's own decree, he chose to place Ram's "paduka" on the seat of power and govern from Nandigram as a trustee, not as a sovereign, he pointed out.
"This distinction between holding authority for yourself and holding it on behalf of others is what your obligation towards the public means," the CJI said.
He told the students that "wherever your careers take you, carry with you the awareness that our collective life depends on whether educated people choose to engage with the systems around them or simply benefit from them".
Giving the example of a "raider" in a Kabaddi game, the CJI told the students, "Watch the finest raiders carefully.... Their greatness is not in the distance they cover, but in the precision with which they judge the line between ambition and overreach.".
He told the students that as they advance in their chosen careers, they must carry the discipline their families have imparted, the endurance that this landscape has taught them and the straightforwardness that Haryana is known for.
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Kharge calls NDA ‘opportunist alliance thriving on corruption’ at rally
Puducherry (PTI): Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said the NDA "is an opportunist alliance that thrives on corruption and the looting of public assets".
Addressing a rally of the INDIA bloc in Puducherry, the Congress president said Prime Minister Narendra Modi "had done nothing" for the union territory’s development.
He urged voters to back the INDIA bloc in the April 9 Assembly polls, calling it "an opportunity for the people to fight against divisive forces led by the BJP and RSS, which are destroying unity, harmony, and the progressive spirit of Puducherry."
Kharge also criticised the BJP for neglecting smaller states like Puducherry and made a strong case for granting it statehood, promising, "Congress will secure statehood—this is a guarantee we give to the people here".
He alleged that under the current AINRC-BJP coalition, Puducherry is "riddled with corruption and a 30 per cent commission system," with the NDA government exploiting the union territory, despite it being "one of the country’s most beautiful places".
He expressed concern over "misuse of funds and stalled development", alleging corruption had "seeped into every sector".
Kharge claimed that despite Prime Minister Modi’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption, "everything in practice is being handed to one person, Adani—from land to skies."
He added that the NDA was "exploiting land, temple lands, and public property."
The Congress leader also criticised the AINRC-BJP rule for granting permits for around 450 liquor shops and restaurants over the last five years, claiming, "Instead of providing clean water, the government has been giving liquor to the people."
Kharge compared the current situation with the previous Congress rule, highlighting development across sectors, particularly healthcare. "Hospitals were established here to take care of the health of the people," he said.
Among his promises, Kharge pledged "gold for mangala sutra" for women if Congress is elected, along with free education from primary school to research level.
He reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promises to Puducherry had not materialised and renewed his call for full statehood, citing the lack of powers as a "hindrance" to the elected government.
He recalled that during the previous Congress rule, then Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, who was also present, faced interference from then Lt Governor Kiran Bedi.
Kharge said Congress has always stood with the people and would continue to improve their lives through developmental programmes, as it had during earlier administrations.
The meeting was presided over by Puducherry PCC president V Vaithilingam, and among the speakers was S P Sivakumar of the DMK.
