HNLU Hosts Ninth Convocation; CJI Surya Kant Stresses Ethics And Collegiality In Legal Profession

In his address, the Chief Justice reflected on the evolving responsibility of legal education in sustaining constitutional democracy. He urged graduating students to uphold justice, dignity, and ethical responsibility in a rapidly transforming world, observing that law, beyond professional success, remains a moral calling anchored in service.

Emphasizing collegiality within the legal profession, he remarked that classmates of today may become lifelong professional colleagues—and even future judges. While entry into premier law schools is shaped by competitive examinations, he noted that the logic of legal practice operates differently. “The legal system flows like a river,” he observed, “strengthened at every stage by tributaries.”

Highlighting the collaborative character of legal practice, he reminded graduates that every courtroom argument rests upon hours of research by juniors, deliberations with colleagues, guidance from seniors, and the often-unseen contributions of many others whose names may never appear in official records.

The ceremony was presided over by Justice Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice of the High Court of Chhattisgarh and Chancellor of HNLU, who administered the oath and conferred degrees upon 6 Ph.D. scholars, 88 LL.M. graduates, and 148 B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) graduates. Proud parents, faculty members, members of the Bar, senior government officials, and distinguished guests were present on the occasion.

Earlier, Prof. V. C. Vivekanandan, Vice Chancellor of HNLU, delivered the Welcome Address and presented the University Report. He noted that within the first ninety days of his tenure, the Chief Justice had visited six law schools across the country—reflecting his sustained engagement with legal education. Drawing a thoughtful parallel, he observed that although the Chief Justice graduated first in Geography, he has since inscribed his name in history as the head of the nation's highest constitutional court.

Addressing the graduating class, the Vice Chancellor reflected that law, at its finest, is not spectacle but dignity restored. He identified five markers of HNLU's recent progress: recognition from academic and professional peers; the blooming Research Hub & Spoke (R-HaS) model; significant infrastructure investments; faculty achievements; and student accomplishments. He further remarked that while legal education involves absorbing accumulated wisdom and practice, its true purpose lies in the imagination and renewal of that wisdom.

The event was attended by Justice P. S. Narasimha and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra of the Supreme Court of India; Shri Ram Vichar Netam, Minister for Tribal Welfare, Government of Chhattisgarh; Shri Gajendra Yadav, Minister for School Education and Law, Government of Chhattisgarh; Justice Parth Prateem Sahu of the High Court of Chhattisgarh; Justice P. Sam Koshy of the High Court of Telangana; Justice G. Raghuram, former Director of the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal; judges of the High Court of Chhattisgarh; as well as seven Vice-Chancellors of National Law Universities and two former Vice-Chancellors.

Academic Distinctions and Gold Medals

A highlight of the ceremony was the conferment of 36 Gold Medals across LL.M. and B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) programmes, recognizing exceptional academic achievement.

Among LL.M. graduates, Ms. Nilanjana Banerjee received the University Gold Medal for First Rank and the Adv. Lt. Shri Kamalnarayan Sharma Gold Medal. Ms. Shrasti Agrawal secured the Gold Medal for highest CGPA in Technology & Law specialization, while Mr. Shreyansh Sharma received the Gold Medal for highest CGPA in Intellectual Property Rights specialization.

Among B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) graduates, Ms. Jass Kaur Bindra emerged as one of the most decorated students, receiving the Chancellor's Gold Medal, the Chhattisgarh State Bar Council Gold Medal, and several memorial distinctions. Ms. Harsimran Kaur received six medals spanning Corporate Law, Criminal Law, Economics, Sociology, and Jurisprudence. Ms. Garima Agrawal, Ms. Aditi Kundu, Ms. Somya Gadpayle, and Ms. Vaishnavi Chandrakar were also honoured with subject-specific and memorial gold medals.

Distinguished honours awarded on the occasion included the Chancellor's Gold Medal, University Gold Medal for Best Outgoing Student, Chhattisgarh State Bar Council Gold Medal, Late K. P. Munshi Gold Medal, Late Smt. Shanti Devi Agrawal Memorial Gold Medal, Shri Vidyadhar Mishra Memorial Gold Medal, Dinesh Prasad Srivastava Memorial Gold Medal, and Syed Wakil Ahmed Rizvi Gold Medal, among others.

Infrastructure and Research Milestones

Earlier in the day, the Chief Justice of India laid the foundation stone for a new Auditorium Complex at the HNLU campus—a ₹50-crore initiative aimed at expanding the University's academic and institutional capacities. He also inaugurated the newly established Research Hub and Spoke (R-HaS) Block, comprising 30 research chambers and a dedicated boardroom, strengthening the University's research ecosystem.

HNLU reported notable research advancements, including a Climate Change Legislation Project for the State of Chhattisgarh; an ICSSR-funded study on the Abujh Maria language and society; and Project Justice Connect, supported by a ₹3.35-crore grant from the Azim Premji Foundation.

On the occasion, the University released the HNLU Journal of Law & Social Sciences (Vol. IX, Issue I), the HNLU Student Law Journal (Vol. II), and an edited commemorative volume titled Constitution @ 75.

Institutional Standing

HNLU continues to consolidate its academic standing, ranking 5th among law colleges in India (India Today, 2025) and 46th globally in Visionary Leadership under the WURI Rankings.

The ceremony was live-streamed on the official HNLU YouTube channel, enabling wider participation from the University community across the country and abroad.

The Ninth Convocation stood not merely as a formal conferment of degrees, but as a reaffirmation of HNLU's commitment to academic excellence, research innovation, constitutional values, and institutional advancement.