Date: 26^th November 2020

Guest Speakers: (1). Mr. K.K. Sharma, Senior Advocate, Delhi High Court and Supreme Court of India.

                              (2). Prof. (Dr.) S.N. Singh, Practicing Advocate and Former Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi.

On 26th November 2020, the ADR cell of USLLS organised a national webinar on the occasion of Constitution Day. The purpose of the event was to cherish the values and fundamental principles of the Indian Constitution. The event was attended by students, faculty members and research scholars of the University. The guests of honour/speakers for the event were Prof. (Dr.) S.N. Singh [Advocate, the Supreme Court of India and Former Dean, Faculty of Law, Delhi University] and Mr. K.K. Sharma [Senior Advocate, Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court of India]. The event took off with a welcome note by the Dean of law school, Prof. (Dr.) A. P. Singh. He expressed his happiness over the fact that Constitution Day is becoming a cause for mainstream celebration all around the country. In his short but insightful address, he touched upon the importance of a democratic structure and how constitutional philosophy has guided our nation to glory for so many wonderful years. Finally, he expressed his gratitude to the guests of honour for agreeing to be a part of the event and requested them to enlighten all attendees with their infinite wisdom.

The first lecture was given by Prof. S.N. Singh. Prof. Singh began with enunciating the importance of Directive Principles of State Policy. He presented a jurisprudential perspective of the DPSPs to the audience and correlated the findings to the current state of affairs. He asserted that social welfare, which is the basic goal of any democratic nation, has taken a backseat in the past 30 years. He remarked that the complete non-justiciability of the DPSPs has allowed the suppression of the disadvantaged sections of the society which is especially evident in the current pandemic scenario. Through his wise observations, he advocated for stronger policies on matters which affect citizen welfare at its core. Prof. Singh left the audience with a lot to ponder on, especially with regards to what the role of the State has become as opposed to what it ought to be.

The second lecture was given by Senior Advocate, Mr. K.K. Sharma. Mr. Sharma perfectly encapsulated all the fundamental principles of the Indian constitution. He commented that even though we are a proud nation, our system leaves a lot to be desired. He gave instances of how the cornerstones of our democracy are threatened by political and intellectual corruption. He also shed light on how judicial autonomy and wisdom is sometimes manipulated by media intervention. He encouraged all in attendance to acutely recognise the signs of inequality and to work towards eliminating social, economical and political injustice. Mr. Sharma’s practical knowledge provided a much needed realistic perspective into the Constitutional status quo.

After an enriching session, the Faculty Coordinators, Dr. Zubair Ahmed Khan and Dr. Vandana Singh presented a vote of thanks. In parting words, Dr. Vandana Singh urged everyone to become model citizens and to never neglect their duties and responsibilities while they enjoy their rights.

Student Coordinator: Mr. Samarth Luthra, Batch of 2023.

Reported by: Mr. Samarth Luthra, Batch of 2023 and Ms. Archi Aggarwal, Batch of 2024.