Although, I have visited the Punjab on many
occasions, this is my first visit to this University in connection with the
first Convocation to mark the graduation of the first batch of students of the
University. It is a proud moment for all
of us present here today to be able to participate in this event which will go
down as an important occasion in the history of this institution. I thank the Vice-Chancellor for inviting me
to be here today.First of all, let me congratulate all of
you who will be receiving your graduation certificates today, as also the
members of the Faculty and other support staff who have made it possible. It must be a proud day for all of you. An educational Institution achieves greatness
and fame because of its teachers and students and the first batch of students
graduating today, have a tremendous responsibility in proving the truth of the
same. In fact, you go out as ambassadors
of this Institution which was founded as recently as in 2006. Dear students, this event marks the first
milestone of your future activities as you go out into the world to prove your
individual worth. However, do not forget
the values of sincerity, sensitivity, compassion, commitment and integrity as
you do so. They will stand you in good
stool in future.Being here today, transports me back to
almost 40 years in time, when I graduated from the Calcutta University College
of Law. Things were different in those
days, and law as a career option did not have much appeal. For those of us, who seriously wanted to
pursue a career in law, there were very few options. The general practice was to join the chamber
of a senior advocate and engage in active practice in the law courts at
different levels. Some preferred to join
corporate offices and law firms as a career option. Arbitration was also an option, but a limited
one and limited to a certain set of lawyers. Taxation was a specialized branch
and was confined only to some lawyers who exclusively practised taxation
law. The width of the opportunities and
choices available today to students of law, were not available to us in those
days when we became part of the legal fraternity. Another option available was judicial
service, but the same entailed periodical movement of a judicial officer to any
part of the State and to work at the District and Sub-Divisional levels. Judicial service, as a career option, was not
very popular with women on account of such conditions.Things changed rapidly with the advent of
the Internet making information available at the touch of a button and also
making it possible for parties to enter into agreements and contracts, within
hours, if not minutes, even though they were separated by large distances. The advent of the Internet also gave rise to
a new breed of lawyers who were able to take advantage of the shrinking of the
world into a global village. Increased
commercial activities required the service of lawyers in regard to commercial
arbitration and settlement of disputes by way of conciliation and mediation. The world of corporate law and, in
particular, the realm of contracts and agreements, have acquired a good deal of
importance with trade and commerce becoming globalised. With the opening of various fora in the
adjudication process and the increasing role of bodies, such as the United
Nations and its different bodies, opportunities for those who choose law as a
career option have increased to such an extent that law as a career is now more
attractive than many other professions available to people today. With the introduction of the five year course
in law, those who were not serious about pursuing a career in law preferred to
stay away, as the five year course entailed complete attention to the course. In our days, the study of law was taken very
casually. Today, the five year course
has changed the entire dimension of legal studies.One of the more positive fall-outs of the
introduction of the five year law course has been the number of women who are
now taking up law as a career. It suits
them to be able to work in their chosen fields, either in an office or in the
law courts and in law firms where their work timings can be regulated to suit
their convenience. Over the years, I
have noticed a steady increase in the number of women who have either joined
the practice or have opted for careers in law firms. New opportunities became available with the
system of campus recruitment. This, I
feel will go a long way in empowering women and allowing them to get rid of the
shackles which at times have prevented them from achieving their true
potential. This is not to take away
anything from the young men who are also joining the profession. Young men who are joining the law profession
have the advantage of greater mobility and connectivity giving them an edge
over women in respect of choices as far as career opportunities are
concerned. I must also concede that the
law graduate of today is much better equipped than many of us to deal with the
changes, both social and economic, which are taking place all over the
world. Gone are the days when long and
laborious procedure had to be resorted to in cementing deals between private
entrepreneurs. Today, multinational
corporations have taken over global business and commerce and, in this changed
scenario, lawyers have an important role to play.
Just as there are greater opportunities
available to law graduates and a greater variety of options to choose from,
there are also greater responsibilities which they have to shoulder. Lawyers have always been at the forefront of
change and new ideas. Their
responsibility to their clients and also to the court has increased to a great
extent as they are treated on a different level than other citizens. Under the Advocates Act, provision has been
made for establishment of a Bar Council of India and the State Bar
Councils. Under the Act, the Bar Council
has framed its Rules and Part VI contains rules governing advocates. Chapter II of Part VI deals in particular
with matters relating to Standards of Professional Conduct and Etiquette and
begins with a preamble to the effect that an advocate shall, at all times,
comport himself in a manner befitting his status as an officer of the Court, a
privileged member of the community, and a gentleman, bearing in mind that what
may be lawful and moral for a person who is not a member of the Bar, or for a
member of the Bar in his non-professional capacity, may still be improper for
an advocate. Without prejudice to the
generality of the aforesaid obligation, an advocate has to fearlessly uphold
the interests of his client and in his conduct conform to the rules both in
letter and in spirit. In fact, the said
Chapter speaks about a lawyer’s duty to the court, his clients, to his
opponents and also to his colleagues, so as to maintain the noble standard of
the legal profession.
Those of you who are going out today and
those of you who will do so in future, have to keep in mind the fact that the
Constitution provides for a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic,
dedicated to achieving social, economic and political justice as also liberty
of thought and expression and ensuring equality amongst all citizens before the
law and in other spheres. You must also
remember the fundamental duties that have been incorporated in the Constitution
by the 42nd Amendment, which came into force on 3rd
January, 1977. It is your duty to ensure
that the objects indicated in Article 51A of the Constitution in Part IVA are
realised for the benefit of citizens in general. As advocates and lawyers, you will have a
special responsibility towards society as you are recognized as the leaders,
who would be in a position to achieve the goals envisaged in the
Constitution. Many of you are potential
Judges, Ministers, Teachers and Lawyers of repute. I wish all of you the very best for the
future and once again I take this opportunity of congratulating not only the
students who will be graduating today, but those students who will be the
future administrators of this great nation and their teachers and mentors who
have helped them to achieve their ambition.
The Vice-Chancellor deserves special mention along with the members of
the Faculty and I am confident that this University, which is witnessing its
first Convocation today, will in the years to come produce more and more
responsible citizens, who will be well-equipped to take up the governance of
this country.
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