India needs an army of smart, committed and idealistic people, says Mukherjee

President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday said the nation needs an army of smart, committed and idealistic people to give voice to the voiceless and produce tangible change in the society.

President Mukherjee, who attended the first convocation of National Law University Delhi (NLUD) at the Vigyan Bhavan here, said the graduates must constantly look for ways in which they can give back to their country.

"They must be ready and willing at all times to represent the powerless and help them obtain justice. We need an army of smart, committed and idealistic people to give voice to the voiceless and produce tangible change in our society," he said.

President Mukherjee expressed the hope that graduates would take up legal aid for the poor as a life long commitment and do their utmost to draw attention to the problems of the disempowered.

However, he advised them not to do this demanding or expecting gratitude.

"Do it as your duty - your contribution to a more equal world and a motherland you are proud of - an India which has made you what you are today," he said.

President Mukherjee said lawyers have a duty to fight injustice wherever it exists.

"It is lawyers who must lead the change against criminality, poverty, domestic violence, caste discrimination and other forms of exploitation," he said.

President Mukherjee called upon the National Law University Delhi to take the lead in meeting contemporary moral challenges and ensuring that nine essential civilizational values of love for motherland; performance of duty; compassion for all; tolerance for pluralism; respect for women; honesty in life; self-restraint in conduct, responsibility in action and discipline are fully entrenched in the young minds.