Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana on Monday said fundamental duties in the Constitution are not merely to serve a "pedantic or technical" purpose, they are meant to guide citizens engineer a social transformation.
"Our Constitution is the fundamental document which regulates the relationship between the citizens and the government. While it has granted us inalienable rights, it places upon us certain fundamental duties. The fundamental duties are not merely pedantic or technical. They were incorporated as the key to social transformation," Chief Justice Ramana said in his Independence Day address at the Supreme Court.
Our framers imagined a nation, where citizens are aware, alert and able to make the right decisions, the Chief Justice said.
Highlighting the spirit of unity in diversity, the CJI said "our system will truly belong to the people when we honour and cherish our diversity".
Chief Justice Ramana remembered the freedom fighter and Gandhian, Keertiseshulu Sri Pingali Venkayya, who "designed the pride and identity of Independent India, our National Flag".
The CJI said the top court has inherited the case backlog of nearly a year on the account of pandemic and resultant lockdowns.
"In the last 16 months, we could physically assemble for only 55 days. I wish the situation was different and we could be more productive. It is just and natural for people to have high expectations, but regrettably, the forces of nature were against us. I hope in near future, the situation will become normal and courts will function to the full potential," the CJI said.
Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Supreme Court Bar Association president Vikas Singh spoke in the event.
