NLSIUs Nineteenth Convocation Disputes are inevitable but litigation is not says President Gautam Bhatia bags 11 medals

The National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore held its Nineteenth Annual Convocation yesterday at the Grand Banquet Hall in the imposing Vidhana Soudha at Bangalore. With stringent security measures in place, the air had an exulting freshness in it, when the students hooted and clapped during the award ceremony.

The National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore held its Nineteenth Annual Convocation yesterday at the Grand Banquet Hall in the imposing Vidhana Soudha at Bangalore. With stringent security measures in place, the air had an exulting freshness in it, when the students hooted and clapped during the award ceremony.

NLSIU had earlier held its graduation ceremony in Vidhana Soudha 18 years ago, in 1993, when Shankar Dayal Sharma, the then President of India, was the Chief Guest. This year, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil was the Chief Guest for the function and Justice Altamas Kabir, Judge, Supreme Court of India and Chancellor of the University, presided over the gathering.

The august function flagged off at 11 a.m. yesterday with the reciting of the National Anthem. After invoking the blessings of the Almighty, the Honourable Vice-Chancellor of NLSIU, Prof. Venkata Rao, rendered the welcome address and presented the report, which enlisted the innumerable achievements made commendably by the students of NLSIU.

The Convocation was declared open by the Honourable Chancellor of the Law School, Justice Altamas Kabir. He also conferred the degrees to the outgoing batch, along with the medals and prizes.

In her Convocation Address, President Pratibha Patil underscored the dismal state of the prevailing justice dispensation system in the nation, urging the law graduates to make it accessible to everyone. “Disputes are inevitable, but litigation is not. The resolution of disputes can be done in diverse ways. Lawyers, as trustees of justice, can suggest simplified options to their clients so that justice is neither delayed nor denied”, she said. Quoting the 16^th US President (1861-65) Abraham Lincoln, she said, "Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbours to compromise whenever you can. As peacemaker, a lawyer has a great opportunity of being a good man".

Highlighting the importance of securing justice for all, she added, “An aspect that should engage you as lawyers throughout your careers should be the question of how justice can become more accessible to all. Today, the cost of litigation is sometimes beyond the means of large sections of society. Each one of you must think and try to seek an answer for this.” The President, herself being a law graudate from the Government Law College, Mumbai, exalted the high standards of ethics and honesty, and called on the students to walk the path of truthfulness and righteousness.

Ruing India’s lack of awareness in the legal systems of other countries and expertise in international law, Patil emphasised the need for legal institutions to adopt internationally acceptable standards to overcome the problem. She also urged lawyers to develop abilities to cope with change in technology and its application in their legal profession, “Law courses must take international and comparative law perspectives in the syllabi, along with necessary understanding of domestic law,” she said.

Among the various students who were honored, Gautam Bhatia stood out, winning an astounding 11 medals. He is the Rhodes Scholar of this year and is all set to pursue Public International Law at the University of Oxford. Speaking to Bar & Bench he said that the most trying times during the entire process of Scholarship application were during the grueling interview process. He said that the interview panel was exacting at all the levels. He thanked his immediate senior, Mr. Niranjan V, for having constantly guided him through the entire process. He advised the young law students that they should have their dreams and should work towards achieving it.

Arjun Sheoran, presently practicing at the Punjab & Haryana High Court was bestowed with the Vikram Singh Medal for Young Leader of the Year. Speaking to Bar & Bench he said that it came as a surprise to him and he is happy with it. ‘It feels vindicated after all that I have done (small or big) for the Law School and students’, said Arjun.

Adithya Banavar was felicitated with the Best Student Advocate Award. Speaking to Bar & Bench, he quipped, “There were many contenders for this Award and I feel many people equally deserved this Award. I don’t really know how they analyse. I am anyways happy with the Award.”

Apart from these felicitations, there was Divya Singla, a 2^nd year B.A., LL.B. student from RGNUL, Patiala, who won the H. M. Seervai Gold Medal for the best essay in Constitutional Law. The Vice-Chancellor’s Prize for Outstanding Personal Achievement was bagged by M.V.Nagarjun.

Thus, the one-hour long Convocation Ceremony at the Vidhana Soudha ended amidst an air filled with cheer and happiness, even as the exulted students threw their hats up to celebrate the occasion.