Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai emphasised that true success in professional life comes from determination, hard work, dedication, and commitment, not just exam scores, while addressing the golden jubilee of V.M. Salgaocar College of Law in Goa.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai emphasized that success in professional life is not solely determined by examination results but rather by determination, hard work, dedication, and commitment.
Speaking at the golden jubilee celebration of V.M. Salgaocar College of Law in Miramar near Panaji, he remarked on the significant changes in the legal education system.
He advised the law students,
“Don’t go by what your ranks are in the examination as these results don’t determine what level of success you will lead to. It is your determination, hard work, dedication and commitment to the profession that all matters,”
CJI Gavai shared his own experience, recalling that although he was a bright student, he often skipped classes.
He cautioned,
“But don’t try to imbibe (emulate) us,”
He recounted his time at Government Law College in Mumbai, where he would sit on the compound wall while friends marked his attendance.
He said,
“In the last year (of law degree), I had to shift to Amravati as my father was the chairman of the (Maharashtra) legislative council. We did not have a house in Mumbai. When I was in Amravati, I must have gone to the college only about half a dozen times. One of my friends who later on became a judge of the high court, used to mark my presence,”
CJI Gavai’s father, the late R.S. Gavai, founded the Republican Party of India and served as chairman of the Maharashtra legislative council from 1978 to 1982 before becoming the Governor of Bihar, Sikkim, and Kerala.
The CJI pointed out that the top student became a criminal lawyer, the second-ranked student became a high court judge, and he himself, who ranked third, is now the Chief Justice of India.
He explained,
“I stood third in the merit list without going to the college, but kept reading books and solved the exam papers of five years,”
He noted,
“Now you are fortunate enough that with the advent of a five-year course, the legal education system has taken a paradigm shift.”
CJI Gavai also mentioned that while presiding over moot courts at the Bombay High Court, he often felt that high court lawyers could learn from the young lawyers’ arguments.
According to the CJI, the practical training provided today equips students for successful careers as lawyers. He acknowledged the challenges faced by junior lawyers, particularly the low stipends offered by senior lawyers, which make it hard for them to make a living.
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He emphasized that legal aid should reach even the most remote areas of the country.
He said,
“We tried to percolate because unless citizens know they have the right to legal remedy, the remedy or rights would be of no use to them,”
With a significant number of law students enrolled across the country, CJI Gavai pointed out the challenges many institutions face regarding infrastructure, faculty quality, and curriculum design. He urged stakeholders to focus on strengthening legal education nationwide.