The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, graced and addressed the platinum jubilee celebrations of the Karnatak Law Society and the Raja Lakhamgouda Law College today (September 15, 2018) in Belagavi, Karnataka.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that law is not a career, it is a calling. It is a mechanism to assist the cause of justice, to help the poorest and most unfortunate among us, and to build a society and nation defined by adherence to rules, norms and fairness. Advocates and judges are, in the ultimate analysis, seekers of truth.

The President said that we live in an age of technology and of entrepreneurship. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is upon us. It is changing how we live and work. It is also changing aspirations of our young people. Our educational institutions have to become compatible with this quest for innovation and excellence. They have to become compatible with the 21st century.

The President said that the teaching of law, the very evolution of law, amid rapid technological development is critical. The time span for an innovation to take place, and for its mass application in society, is shortening very sharply. This will throw up numerous challenges for law – in areas such as genetic engineering, bioethics and artificial intelligence, among others. The legal profession has to respond quickly. He expressed confidence that our leading legal minds will put their thoughts into such matters.

Click here to see the President’s Speech