Shimla: Justice Sanjay Karol, Judge of the Supreme Court of India, and Justice Rajeev Shakdhar, Former Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, were conferred with the Degree of Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa, at the 2nd Convocation Ceremony of the Himachal Pradesh National Law University (HPNLU), Shimla, held today at the Himachal Pradesh Judicial Academy. The event also saw 451 students being awarded their degrees, including 114 graduates from the B.A. LL.B. programme, 111 from the B.B.A. LL.B. programme, 211 from the LL.M. programme, and 15 doctoral candidates earning Ph.D. degrees.
Surya Dev Singh Bhandari (2021), Tissy Annie Thomas (2022), and Nivedita Sharma (2023) received the Founder Vice-Chancellor’s Gold Medal for being overall toppers in the postgraduate programme. Sheenam Thakur from the 2018 batch secured multiple accolades, including the K.K. Luthra Memorial Gold Medal in Criminal Law, the Sh. Tarsem Kumar Gold Medal as the overall female topper, the Sri Shyam Sunder Goel Memorial Gold Medal for overall undergraduate topper, the Founder Chancellor’s Gold Medal for being the top Himachal Pradesh domicile student, the Founder Vice-Chancellor’s Gold Medal for overall topper, and the Founder Chancellor’s Fellowship Prize for being the top law student from Himachal Pradesh.
Aditi Sharma received the Justice Dharam Paul Sood Gold Medal for exemplary performance in Constitutional Law (2018), and Lipi Aryan was awarded the K.K. Luthra Memorial Gold Medal in Criminal Law (2019). Ankita Sharma secured the Sh. Tarsem Kumar Gold Medal, the Sri Shyam Sunder Goel Memorial Gold Medal, and the Founder Vice-Chancellor’s Gold Medal for 2019. Hiaa Sharma was honored with the Founder Chancellor’s Gold Medal and the Founder Chancellor’s Fellowship Prize among students from Himachal Pradesh for 2019, while Sanchit Sharma received the Justice Dharam Paul Sood Gold Medal for exemplary academic performance in Constitutional Law for 2019.
Supreme Court Judge Justice Surya Kant, addressing the gathering, encouraged students to push beyond their limits, stressing that success requires determination and intelligence. He spoke about the challenges law students face, including self-doubt, integrity, and continuous growth, urging them to face obstacles with resilience. “Law is not just for those who can afford it, but for those who are in dire need of it,” he remarked.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu extended his best wishes to the graduating students, encouraging them to pursue their careers with hard work, dedication, and strong willpower. Reflecting on his own journey, he stated, “I also earned a law degree from HPU, but I never practiced. I was interested in politics and social service, and with the blessings of the people of the state, I have the opportunity to serve the state today.”
He emphasized that real challenges begin after obtaining a degree and that true knowledge is gained through experience. He further highlighted that studying law instills confidence in individuals, regardless of their chosen career path.
The Convocation Ceremony was also attended by Supreme Court judges Justice M.M. Sundresh and R. Mahadevan, Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court Justice G.S. Sandhawalia, and other High Court judges.
