Justice Nagarathna urges students to commit to idea of 'constructive citizenship'
New Delhi, Sep 14: Justice B V Nagarathna on Saturday urged students to commit themselves to the idea of "constructive citizenship" while asserting that social work should form the foundation of true citizenship.
Justice Nagarathna, who is set to become the first female Chief Justice of India based on the seniority principle, also lamented the lack of gender diversity in the legal profession.
Addressing the 11th convocation ceremony of the National Law University (NLU) here, the Supreme Court judge emphasised that the Indian Constitution was "neither the product nor the exclusive domain of Lutyen's Delhi."
She said building relationships based on personal or local connections and actively contributing to society through social work should be the cornerstone of constructive citizenship.
She also invoked Dr B R Ambedkar's closing speech in the Constituent Assembly, highlighting the significant role lawyers can play in promoting constitutional methods to foster social change. She pointed out that the Constitution is not exclusive to any particular group but holds "unheard perspectives at every crossroad of this country."
Justice Nagarathna called on the graduating students "to commit themselves to the idea of constructive citizenship", she was quoted as saying in a statement.
She also expressed concern over the under-representation of women in the legal profession.
She noted that only 13 per cent of high court judges and 15 per cent of enrolled lawyers in India are women, while women comprise just 27 per cent of the workforce in law firms.
The SC judge lamented that several women are forced out of the legal profession at the peak of their careers due to the demands placed on them both personally and professionally.
She emphasised that these figures represent not just statistics but "missed opportunities, unheard voices, and lost perspectives in the legal system."
NLU Delhi Vice-Chancellor, Professor G S Bajpai, also addressed the occasion.
He highlighted the academic accomplishments of the university's students and faculty, and outlined NLU's efforts in developing a strong research ecosystem, advancing educational equity, and promoting internationalisation.
These efforts have helped NLU Delhi secure the second position in the Centre's NIRF rankings for the seventh consecutive year, he said.
Justice Manmohan, Acting Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, conferred degrees on the graduating students. A total of 155 students from the PhD, LL.M, and B.A, LL.B (Hons.) programmes received degrees.
Additionally, 29 medals and five cash prizes were awarded to outstanding achievers, with Labdhi Golechha receiving six gold medals, two cash prizes, and the title of 'Best Student of the Year'.
The convocation was attended by several distinguished guests, including Justice Manmohan, Justice Chandra Dhari Singh of the Delhi High Court, and Delhi Education, Law, Justice and Legislative Affairs Minister Atishi.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
