Narrow and partisan issues should not dominate the nation's thought process, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana said while talking about democracy in India.
"Do not allow narrow and partisan issues to dominate the nation's thought process... this will ultimately hurt our democracy and the progress of our nation," he said at the convocation ceremony of the National Law University (NLU) in Delhi on Thursday.
He said no big leader has emerged from the student community in the past few decades. "This appears to be correlated with diminished participation of students in social causes after liberalization."
A responsive youth is vital for strengthening democracy, the chief justice said, adding that the youth have a special responsibility.
"Independence of the judiciary is sacrosanct in ensuring the rule of law. When you enter the profession you will take an oath on the Constitution. Always remember your solemn duty to uphold the Constitution," he told the law students.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi High Court Chief Justice DN Patel along with high court judges Justices Siddharth Mridul and Rajnish Bhatnagar were also present at the convocation ceremony.
In his address, Justice Ramana praised Mr Kejriwal for his "commitment and hard work for the welfare of the people of Delhi."
"His (Arvind Kejriwal's) work in the field of education and health care are highly appreciated," he added.
Talking about National Law Universities, the chief justice said the primary object behind their establishment was to improve the quality of legal education but no studies have been conducted to determine the same.
"Due to various considerations most students from these universities end up in corporate law firms... It is unfortunate that a comparable addition is not being made to the ranks of lawyers practicing in courts from the National Law Universities," he said. "This is perhaps one of the reasons why National Law Universities are perceived as elitist and detached from social realities".
"Court rooms are not like those represented in movies or moot courts," Justice Ramana said.
