CJI Surya Kant called upon graduating students to cultivate the discipline, restraint, and strategic awareness exemplified by a kabaddi raider as they step into their professional journeys. Delivering the convocation address at Central University of Haryana, he employed the sport as a compelling metaphor to illustrate the importance of balance between aspiration and prudence.
Explaining the dynamics of the game, he observed that a kabaddi raider enters the opponent’s half while holding a single breath and continuously chanting “kabaddi.” This rhythmic chant symbolizes unwavering concentration and self-control. The raider must carefully gauge the extent of his advance and determine the precise moment to retreat. True mastery, he remarked, lies not in venturing the farthest but in recognizing the delicate boundary between calculated ambition and reckless overreach.
Drawing a parallel with professional life, the Chief Justice noted that an individual’s upbringing forms the foundational ground from which they venture forth, while education serves as the sustaining breath that enables them to navigate their path. Remaining anchored to one’s values and origins, he suggested, ensures that success does not come at the cost of integrity or perspective.
Reflecting on his own beginnings, he shared that his legal career commenced without the advantage of influential networks or established patronage. Many students, he said, come from families for whom higher education represents a collective aspiration achieved through perseverance and sacrifice. Such backgrounds, he observed, often nurture resilience, humility, and a profound sense of responsibility.
He further emphasized that institutions of higher learning are supported by public resources. As a result, graduates bear a moral obligation to utilize their education in ways that serve society and strengthen democratic institutions. The privilege of higher education, he reminded the students, carries with it a duty to uphold ethical standards and contribute meaningfully to the public good.
Noting a significant development at the university, he highlighted that a majority of the gold medal recipients this year were women—an encouraging indication of progress toward greater gender equity in higher education.
Concluding his address, the Chief Justice urged students to pursue excellence with determination while remaining mindful of their roots, the sacrifices of their families, and the discipline required to build a career marked by integrity, purpose, and service.
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