Constitution powerful tool to curb inequalities: CJI Chandrachud at 13th JGU Convocation

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) The Constitution is a powerful tool to curb disparities, and it creates institutions and structures which are meant to guard against inequality, Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud said at the 13th Convocation ceremony of O.P. Jindal Global University.

"The Constitution provides for checks and balances within these institutions and also stipulates institutional priorities and obligations towards citizens of the country. Constitutional longevity speaks of the wisdom of our framers who were prescient enough to incorporate grounding elements into the Constitution without turning it into a rigid normative, and thus a brittle document," he said.

The CJI also said the Constitution, while being a sturdy foundation for our democracy, is also sufficiently flexible, adding that in reality, justice means different things in different contexts and it takes a compassionate eye to spot injustices around them.

The 13th Convocation of O.P. Jindal Global University saw nearly 3,100 of its students graduate from its 10 diverse schools which include Law, Business, Banking and Finance, Behavioural Sciences, Psychology, Public Health Environment, Art and Architecture Journalism, Liberal Arts and Humanities, Government and Public Policy and International Affairs.

The recipients of the academic gold, silver and bronze medals were conferred the award in the presence the Chief Justice of India, and the Chancellor, and the Vice Chancellor of the universiy.

During his speech, Justice Chandrachud also implored the students to spend their days and lives not only as ambassadors of their alma mater, but also as the voices of reason in a clutter of noise.

"The danger to our societies today is the clutter of noise and we need the voice of reason among the voices of unbridled passion," he said.

“Take this opportunity of personal transition to envision your goals not only as individuals, but also as members of the society. We know better than to assume that justice is capable of a single definition or that it is the exclusive concern of courts and legislatures. Far from it being the exclusive domain of lawyers, one does not even need to know the law to spot vacuums in our decisions, policies and institutional choices.

"Economists among you would perhaps similarly spot the cost of low female workforce participation to the country’s fiscal progress or the cost of women’s unpaid labour as home-makers.

"Similarly, students of architecture would perhaps have an eye for structural and design choices that are not conducive to the needs of women, or persons with physical disabilities. An investigative journalistic report could bring forth the pervasiveness of all of these problems. And there are no straightjacket or strictly legal solutions to some of these problems. The solutions, like the issues themselves, are nuanced. They require a compassionate, sincere professional solution, which you are all now capable of devising," the CJI concluded.

The Founding Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University, Naveen Jindal, lauded the achievements of the students.

Marking the momentous occasion, he said, “Today is a very special day for me as nearly 3,000 students are graduating. It is also special because it is my father Shri O.P. Jindal’s 94th birthday, which also marks the Founders Day of the university.

"He firmly believed that to empower the young generation, education was the most powerful tool at our disposal. Today, we reaffirm our dedication to his vision that integrates education with public service, preparing our graduates to contribute meaningfully to the society.

"Since our inception, we have adhered to the highest standards of higher education, earning consistent recognition among the best institutions globally. At the core of JGU's vision and mission is our aspiration to be a role model for excellence in higher education in India and among the leading universities of the world.

We aim to achieve this by pursuing an institutional identity of a multidisciplinary, research-driven university that fosters excellence in teaching, research, community service, and capacity building.

"In pursuing our goals, JGU has over time developed a sustainable, scalable and adaptive model of institutional development that remains sensitive to developments at the national and global level.”

The Founding Vice Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University, Prof. (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, congratulated the graduating students and said, “Today, on our 13th Convocation, we pay tribute to Shri O.P. Jindal and his contribution to nation building and his commitment to philanthropy that inspired his son, Mr. Naveen Jindal, to be a benefactor for establishing the university.

"I have no doubt about the fact that these graduating students of JGU are indeed going to change the world and to make it a better place. A remarkable part of India is that of its 1.5 billion people, 1 billion are less than 34 years of age.

"When most parts of the Western world will become older, India will be younger and will be younger for a longer time. This essentially means that young Indians, including our graduating students, will shape the future of India and the world. The education you have received and the opportunities will make a huge difference.

"I am deeply grateful to the Chief Justice of India for his presence and inspiration as you continuously work towards speaking truth to power to recognise the role of law as an instrument of social change, being able to make institutions and individuals accountable for their actions.

"Our Chancellor Mr. Naveen Jindal, by building this institution, has made a commitment towards posterity. He recognises the role of education and its extraordinary potential to transform societies, and that is exactly what we have seen in the last 15 years, with over 13,000 students now on our in our university and over 12,000 alumni spread across India and around the world.

"Mr. Jindal not only made a commitment towards philanthropy by building the institution, but he also recognized the importance and protection of academic freedom, autonomy and independence to build the world-class university, and for the last 15 years, we've been able to achieve a number of milestones.”

Prof. Dabiru Sridhar Patnaik, Registrar of the O.P. Jindal Global University, made the formal request to declare the Convocation open.

Prof. (Dr.) Upasana Mahanta, Dean, Admissions and Outreach, introduced the distinguished guests to the gathering at the Convocation.