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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Israel launches first airstrike on Lebanon since ceasefire, accusing Hezbollah of breaching truce
Beirut, Nov 28: The Israeli military on Thursday said its warplanes fired on southern Lebanon after detecting Hezbollah activity at a rocket storage facility, the first Israeli airstrike a day after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took hold.
There was no immediate word on casualties from Israel's aerial attack, which came hours after the Israeli military said it fired on people trying to return to certain areas in southern Lebanon. Israel said they were violating the ceasefire agreement, without providing details. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said two people were wounded.
The back-to-back incidents stirred unease about the agreement, brokered by the United States and France, which includes an initial two-month ceasefire in which Hezbollah members are to withdraw north of the Litani River and Israeli forces are to return to their side of the border. The buffer zone would be patrolled by Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers.
On Thursday, the second day of a ceasefire after more than a year of bloody conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon's state news agency reported that Israeli fire targeted civilians in Markaba, close to the border, without providing further details. Israel said it fired artillery in three other locations near the border. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
An Associated Press reporter in northern Israel near the border heard Israeli drones buzzing overhead and the sound of artillery strikes from the Lebanese side.
The Israeli military said in a statement that “several suspects were identified arriving with vehicles to a number of areas in southern Lebanon, breaching the conditions of the ceasefire.” It said troops “opened fire toward them” and would “actively enforce violations of the ceasefire agreement.”
Israeli officials have said forces will be withdrawn gradually as it ensures that the agreement is being enforced. Israel has warned people not to return to areas where troops are deployed, and says it reserves the right to strike Hezbollah if it violates the terms of the truce.
A Lebanese military official said Lebanese troops would gradually deploy in the south as Israeli troops withdraw. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media.
The ceasefire agreement announced late Tuesday ended 14 months of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that began a day after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza, when the Lebanese Hezbollah group began firing rockets, drones and missiles in solidarity.
Israel retaliated with airstrikes, and the conflict steadily intensified for nearly a year before boiling over into all-out war in mid-September. The war in Gaza is still raging with no end in sight.
More than 3,760 people were killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon during the conflict, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The fighting killed more than 70 people in Israel — over half of them civilians — as well as dozens of Israeli soldiers fighting in southern Lebanon.
Some 1.2 million people were displaced in Lebanon, and thousands began streaming back to their homes on Wednesday despite warnings from the Lebanese military and the Israeli army to stay out of certain areas. Some 50,000 people were displaced on the Israeli side, but few have returned and the communities near the northern border are still largely deserted.
In Menara, an Israeli community on the border with views into Lebanon, around three quarters of homes are damaged, some with collapsed roofs and burnt-out interiors. A few residents could be seen gathering their belongings on Thursday before leaving again.
