Bengaluru, Oct 17 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister, D.K. Shivakumar, has urged young law graduates to protect democratic institutions, uphold constitutional values and ensure justice for every citizen, calling on them never to stop questioning, never to compromise on their values and never to forget the people.
Addressing the 34th convocation ceremony of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) at the Jnana Jyothi Auditorium, CM Shivakumar said a strong democracy must allow citizens to question the government, particularly at a time when democratic institutions across the world are facing challenges.
“Never stop questioning, never compromise on your values and never forget the people,” he said, stressing that young lawyers and policymakers had a special responsibility to protect the Constitution.
A strong democracy, he said, was not one in which everyone agreed with the government, but one in which every citizen enjoyed the freedom to question it.
He urged the graduates to question, debate and challenge ideas while also taking responsibility for finding solutions. Constitutional principles, he said, should not remain confined to textbooks but must guide governance, policymaking and public life.
“India does not merely need more lawyers. We need lawyers with integrity, compassion and courage. They must understand the struggles of ordinary people and speak up for what is right, however difficult it may be,” he said.
The Chief Minister announced that the Karnataka government would establish a separate institution to train law graduates for judicial service examinations and provide continuing education for young advocates.
The government would also support the establishment of a Start-up Law Clinic at NLSIU, where students, faculty members and lawyers would offer free, pro bono legal advice to young entrepreneurs, he said.
Referring to the challenge of pending court cases, CM Shivakumar said crores of cases were awaiting disposal before Indian courts, leaving individuals and families waiting for justice.
“For us, it may be just another case number. But for that person, it could be their entire life,” he said, emphasising the need to make justice faster, simpler, affordable and accessible to all.
Development, he said, should be measured not merely through economic growth, infrastructure and employment, but also through the dignity, liberty, equality and security enjoyed by citizens.
With India aiming to become a developed nation by 2047, he urged law graduates to look beyond classrooms and understand the challenges faced by farmers, workers, women and ordinary families.
“The true purpose of education is not merely to shape your own future, but also to improve the lives of others,” he said, adding that young people would play a decisive role in shaping India’s future over the next five decades.
Recalling the ideals of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and the framers of the Constitution, CM Shivakumar said justice, liberty, equality and fraternity formed the foundation of Indian democracy.
“India’s greatness will not be measured only by how much we grow, but by how justly we grow,” he said, urging graduates to measure their success by the lives they improve and the rights they protect.
Congratulating the graduates and their parents, CM Shivakumar recalled that he had also aspired to become a lawyer. However, he said, politics brought him into public life after he received a party ticket while he was still a student.
Chief Justice of India and NLSIU Chancellor Justice Surya Kant, chief guest Arundhati Nag, Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddy, Supreme Court and High Court judges, NLSIU Vice-Chancellor Dr. Sudhir Krishnaswamy, faculty members and other dignitaries were present at the convocation ceremony.
–IANS
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