March 16, 2026 : Chief Justice of India Surya Kant called on graduating students to cultivate discipline, restraint, and strategic awareness as they embark on their professional journeys, using the sport of kabaddi as a metaphor for navigating life and career choices.
Delivering the convocation address at the Central University of Haryana, the Chief Justice described how a kabaddi raider enters the opponent’s half while holding a single breath and continuously chanting “kabaddi.” The chant, he explained, reflects unwavering concentration and self-control. A raider must carefully judge how far to advance and identify the precise moment to retreat. True mastery, he noted, does not lie in venturing the farthest but in recognizing the fine line between calculated ambition and reckless overreach.
Drawing a parallel with professional life, Justice Surya Kant said that a person’s upbringing forms the ground from which they venture out, while education becomes the sustaining breath that helps them move forward. Staying connected 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 journey, the Chief Justice shared that he began his legal career without the support of influential networks or established patronage. Many students, he observed, come from families for whom higher education represents a shared dream achieved through perseverance and sacrifice. Such backgrounds, he said, often foster resilience, humility, and a deep sense of responsibility.
He also emphasized that institutions of higher education are sustained by public resources, which places a moral responsibility on graduates to use their knowledge in ways that benefit society and strengthen democratic institutions. The privilege of higher education, he reminded the students, carries with it a duty to uphold ethical values and contribute to the public good.
Highlighting a notable development at the university, the Chief Justice pointed out that a majority of this year’s gold medal recipients were women, calling it a positive sign of growing gender equity in higher education.
Concluding his address, he encouraged students to pursue excellence with determination while remaining mindful of their roots, the sacrifices of their families, and the discipline required to build careers defined by integrity, purpose, and service.
