CJI explains true meaning of democracy to IPS probationers

Hyderabad: Chief Justice of India Justice Ranjan Gogoi on Saturday explained that the true meaning of the democratic system, which constitutes "legal equanimity", "political freedom" and "governance by Rule of Law".

He was delivering the 33rd Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Memorial Lecture on the topic "Rule of Law in Modern Democracy" in Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy here on Saturday.

The Chief Justice of India distinguished "Rule of Law" from "Rule of Man" and asserted that the rule of law has emerged now as the soul of modern democratic nations. He also cautioned that the rule of law need not necessarily be intertwined with the policy of the Government and Judicial Review becomes the cornerstone of the rule of law.

CJI Gogoi acknowledged the contributions of the Indian Police Service to the motherland as the nation builders and remarked that police casualties are not less than the casualties of conventional war. He raised the issue of fairness in discharging duties and drew the distinction between institutional fairness and fairness in the individual functioning. He expected all the Probationers to take all necessary steps to exercise their legitimate powers in a fair and reasonable manner. He concluded his address by congratulating the Probationers once again for their chosen path to dedicate their lives to serve the motherland and cautioned them that there will be testing times.

The Chief Justice addressed the Probationers as "Young Achievers", and "Nation Builders" to whom the baton needed to be passed. At the outset, he congratulated them for choosing to dedicate their lives to serve the motherland. He recalled the contributions of Shri Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in making the Indian Civil Services as the strong constitutional steel framework in binding independent India.

Earlier, SVPNPA Director Abhay, in his introduction, said that a stable political order requires three features – a strong State, Rule of Law and democratic institutions of Accountability. Hence, for these young IPS Officers on the verge of taking their careers, there cannot be a more apt topic than the one selected by the CJI.

In 1983, a memorial lecture to be delivered by an eminent person in memory of the Iron man of India was instituted with the approval of Gov. of India. B.K. Nehru, the then Governor of Jammu & Kashmir delivered the inaugural lecture in 1984 on "All India Services", and thereafter the lectures are being delivered by eminent personalities.

The programme was attended by eminent personalities comprising of Justice Raghavendra Chauhan, the Chief Justice of Telangana High Court and all the Judges of Telangana High Court and all the Registrars, Home Minister Md. Mahmood Ali, Telangana DGP M. Mahendar Reddy, Andhra Pradesh DGP D. Gautam Sawang, retired IPS and former Director of the Academy Aruna M. Bahuguna and other distinguished guests from various services. The Memorial lecture was attended by 156 IPS Probationers of 2018 batch undergoing Phase-I training, including 15 Foreign Officer Trainees from Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives and also 103 Probationers of 2017 batch undergoing Phase-II training.