GNLU graduates urged to let ethics, integrity lead their careers

Ahmedabad: The Pahalgam terror attack and the suicide of Vansh Gaint, a third-year student, in March weighed heavily on the 15th convocation ceremony of Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) on Saturday. Director S Shanthakumar requested all to observe a two-minute silence for victims of the terror attack and Gaint at the beginning of the ceremony.Justice Bela Trivedi, a Supreme Court judge and Visitor to GNLU, also shared a few tips with the students in light of the suicide."Life is precious, please do not spoil it by exasperation and impulsions, or falling prey to temporary materialistic pleasures. Do not be impatient. At the fag end of my career, I assure you that you will get everything – name, fame, and success as you desire. But you will have to wait and strive hard, building up your character and inculcating virtues and ethics," she said in her address. She also asked the students to consider the graduation as a stepping stone and not as final destination in the journey.Justice Aravind Kumar, a judge of the Supreme Court, delivered the convocation address. He said that the convocation provides students with an opportunity to be guardians of law and serve the truth. He also told the students that many times the statutes of law would not guide them, but their conscience would be the guiding force. "Integrity is not negotiable. Always ask yourself, am I interpreting law or interpreting to convenience," he said. He also shared anecdotes from his journey to underline importance of hard work and legal acumen.A total of 286 students were conferred degrees in the convocation, which included 16 PhD scholars, 85 LLM students, and 185 students of LLB (Hons) among others. The convocation included 18 students from the Silvassa campus. In all, 38 gold medals were conferred to the students for academic excellence, five of which were constituted this year. The officials said that 35 students were provided scholarships.Prof Shanthakumar, in his address, elaborated on an upward trend in recruitment from the campus and median remunerations. He also outlined the works of various centres and special projects with the state and central govts.The convocation was attended by judges of the Gujarat high court, senior advocates, and representatives of the legal fraternity and academia.