CJI Surya Kant said that ‘imaandari’ or integrity is not just an ornament but the discipline that sustains justice and reputation. He urged law students to make integrity the basic structure of their character.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Saturday stressed that “imaandari” or integrity must be the core value for every law student and young professional.
Speaking at O.P. Jindal Global University in Sonipat, he said that honesty is not just a good quality, but a strong discipline that protects both justice and a person’s reputation.
CJI Kant was delivering the keynote address at the international convention on
‘The Independence of Judiciary: Comparative Perspective on Rights, Institutions and Citizens’.
During this event, the world’s largest moot court, Nyayabhyasa Mandapam, was inaugurated along with the International Mooting Academy for Advocacy, Negotiation, Dispute Adjudication, Arbitration and Resolution (IMAANDAAR).
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, MP and Chancellor Naveen Jindal, senior advocates, jurists and legal scholars were also present.
CJI Surya Kant began his speech with a powerful line to inspire students. He said,
“they say, and I quote, ‘integrity is what you do when no one is watching, and courage is what you do when everyone is’.”
Explaining the significance of this message, he said the newly launched IMAANDAAR academy perfectly reflects this idea.
He appreciated how meaningfully the acronym IMAANDAAR has been created. Calling it a symbol of what the legal field should stand for, he said,
“This is very cleverly crafted acronym which embodies the very ideal that the practice of law and indeed the pursuit of justice must always aspire to ‘imaandari’ or as we call integrity. This singular word carries moral weight far beyond the sum of its syllables.”
Highlighting the importance of truth at a time when misinformation spreads quickly, he added that honesty has now become essential for survival.
He said,
“Imaandari is not a mere ornament to character. It is the discipline that sustains both justice and reputation. In an era where truth must compete with knowledge, where deep fakes distort, misinformation multiplies and digital arrests have become disturbingly routine, integrity and honesty are no longer lofty ideals. They are instruments of survival.”
He also spoke directly to young students and shared his experience from the legal profession:
“And if I may speak from the vantage of experience, they are also the only legitimate shortcut to genuine success.”
CJI Kant reminded law students that they will shape the future functioning of democracy. He stressed that the Constitution can survive only if people uphold moral values. He said,
“Let integrity be, because we are talking of ‘Imaandaar’, let integrity be the basic structure of your character and let nothing amend it.”
Talking about judicial independence, the central theme of the convention, the CJI referred to Durgabai, one of the few women in the Constituent Assembly.
He quoted her saying that the judiciary must itself feel independent in order to deliver justice effectively. Recalling her words, he said she stated that judges must feel independent to ensure efficiency. He added that her thoughts are still highly relevant today.
Calling comparative judicial conversations important in a changing world, he said the purpose of this convention is to understand how justice systems can maintain trust.
He said he has always believed that learning from other jurisdictions keeps the judiciary grounded in humility, because even though every Constitution has its own style, its underlying values are universal.
Through his detailed address, CJI Surya Kant encouraged law students to place honesty above everything and carry forward the spirit of constitutional morality.
His repeated emphasis on ‘imaandari’ served as a strong reminder that integrity is the foundation of both justice and personal character.
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