Mangaluru girl Asrina cracks judicial exam, takes oath as Civil Judge from Karnataka Chief Justice
Mangaluru: A young law graduate from Mangaluru, Asrina cracked judicial exams and has now taken Oath as the Civil Judge. She was administered oath by the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court on Monday.
Hailing from Haleangadi, Asrina is the daughter of Akbar Ali and Asmath. They are currently settled at Chokkabettu in Krishnapura here. Asrina completed her Primary and High School Education in Haleangadi and Kinnigoli before choosing law for her higher education at SDM Law College in Mangaluru.
After her graduation, Asrina began her career as a young lawyer under the mentoring of senior Advocates of Mangaluru Mayura Keerthi and Sharath Kumar B. She appeared for judicial exams in 2019 and successfully cracked it to become the Civil Judge.
Asrina’s father Akbar Ali is an employee of MRPL in Mangaluru and her mother is a housewife. The couple has three daughters all of whom are said to be academically excellent. Asrina’s elder sister is a Lecturer at PA College in the city and her younger sister is pursuing Ph.D. at a private college in Mangaluru.
Speaking to Vartha Bharati, Asrina recalled how she was ambitious to achieve something big in her life and also recalled that she had no set goal to initially as to what to pursue. “It was only after I joined SDM Law College, I set things straight that I wanted to become a judge, and then I started working towards achieving this,” Asrina said.
“My grandparent Sheikh Adam and Kaiyali Bavaka, and grandparents Saleemamma and Atijamma, my parents, and all the family members encouraged me in pursuing my dream. I was fortunate to have worked under two senior advocates at the beginning of my career. All this helped me in accomplishing my dream of becoming a judge” she added.
Expressing her joy over Asrina’s accomplishment, her grandmother Atijamma added as a young girl she wanted to pursue higher education but then due to the cultural bindings of not letting women pursue higher education, she was deprived of studying further. “That made me take the pledge that the girl children in our family should pursue higher education and should be able to accomplish their dreams and aspirations. Asrina’s achievement has made all of us happy” she said.
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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
