Chotanagpur Law College in Ranchi hosted the prestigious “Jharkhand Vidhigya Samagam” on June 29th and 30th, 2024. This first-of-its-kind event in Jharkhand brought together students from over 10 states and resource persons from various National Law Universities to explore the historical evolution and development of law and related disciplines in ancient India.
Day 1
Inaugural Session
The event commenced with a lamp-lighting ceremony by dignitaries, including: –
Hon’ble Mr. Justice Ratnaker Bhengraj (Jharkhand High Court Judge),
Mr. Rajeev Ranjan (Senior Advocate, Advocate General, Jharkhand State Bar Council, Jharkhand High Court),
Prof. Dr. Manoj Kumar Sinha (Vice Chancellor, Dharmashastra NLU, Jabalpur),
Dr. Ajit Kr. Sinha (Vice Chancellor, Ranchi University), and
Prof. Dr. Pankaj Kr. Chaturvedi (Dean cum Principal, Chotanagpur Law College).
The event commenced with the National Anthem led by Dr. Nandita Adhikary, followed by the Welcome speech by Mr. Abhinav Prakash Assistant professor cum Organizing Secretary, Jharkhand Vidhgya Samagam, the session featured insightful speeches by the guests:
This session featured talks by Eminent Guests and Resource Persons:
- Prof. Dr. Manoj Kumar Sinha emphasized the importance of integrating ancient Vedic texts with the legal education system.
- Prof. Dr. Ajit Kr. Sinha stressed the connection between “Dharma” and law.
- Mr. Rajeev Ranjan spoke about the significance of understanding the historical roots of law.
- Hon’ble Mr. Justice Ratnaker Bhengraj highlighted the challenges of incorporating ancient legal principles into the modern legal system.
Technical Sessions
Renowned legal scholars from across India participated as resource persons, delivering insightful talks on various topics related to ancient Indian law and its relevance in the modern legal system.
Here’s a glimpse into the topics covered:
- Prof. (Dr.) Anurag Deep discussed the dominance of Western legal systems and the need to incorporate elements of ancient Indian law.
- Prof. (Dr.) Madhusudan Rajpurohit explored the historical development of law in India, focusing on the concept of Dharma.
- Prof. (Dr.) Manoj Kumar Padhy discussed the role of tradition and Dharma in shaping ancient Indian contract law.
- Prof. (Dr.) Uday Shankar emphasized the importance of integrating ancient Indian knowledge into legal education.
- Prof. Dr. S P Srivastava spoke about the application of Mimansa rules in statutory interpretation.
- Prof Dr Subir Kr. Roy highlighted the need to understand the historical roots of law for its contemporary application.
- Prof Dr Meena Keetan Sahu compared ancient and contemporary criminal law systems in India.
- Prof Dr Ranjan Kumar discussed the Aryan-Dravidian conflict and its impact on legal and cultural aspects of Indian society.
- Prof Dr. Y. K. Verma emphasized the continuing relevance of the concept of Dharma in the legal system.
Day 2 began with a welcome address and continued with technical sessions featuring presentations by:
- Prof. (Dr.) Chandrakant Shukla who spoke about the Vedic tradition and the contributions of rishis in preserving Vedic knowledge.
- Dr. Shaiwal Satyarthi who discussed the relevance of ancient Indian legal principles in the modern world.
- Dr. K. Syamala who compared the concepts of morality, Dharma, ethics, and law.
- Dr. Raju Manjhi who highlighted the need for legal systems to adapt to changing times and the importance of learning from tribal traditions for environmental protection.
- Dr. M.R. Sreenivasa Murthy who emphasized the advanced legal education system in ancient Indian universities.
Student paper presentations based on the event’s theme followed the technical sessions. The Chair and Co-Chair for this session was presided by the following resource persons: –
Dr. S N Mishra, Director, Institute of legal Studies, Ranchi University, Ranchi;
Dr. Raj Kumar Singh, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Sarla Birla Universitry, Ranchi;
Mrs. Rashmi Pradhan, principal In-Charge, University Law College, Vinoba Bhave University, Hazaribagh, Jharkhand;
Dr. Amrish Choudhary, Assistant Professor, Law college, Dhanbad
Valedictory Ceremony
The event culminated in a valedictory ceremony graced by dignitaries: –
Hon’ble Mr. Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad (Jharkhand High Court Judge),
Sri Rajender Krishna (Chairman, Jharkhand State Bar Council),
Dr. Ajit Kr. Sinha (Vice Chancellor, Ranchi University)
Prof. (Dr.) Jai Shankar Singh (Vice Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law),
Prof. (Dr.) Tapan Kumar Shandilya (Vice Chancellor, Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University),
Mr. Diwakar Pandey Judicial Commissioner, Ranchi,
Mr Rajesh Shukla, Vice Chairman, Jharkhand State Bar Council,
Ms. Kumari Ranjana Asthana, Member Secretary, Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority (Jhalsa),
Sri Abhishek Kumar, Deputy Registrar (Deputy Secretary), Civil Judge (Senior Division) Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority (Jhalsa), and other dignitaries.
Started with the National Anthem led by Dr. Nandita Adhikary followed the welcome address by Dr. Sakshi Pathak, Assistant Professor Cum Convenor & Director, Jharkhand Vidhigya Samagam graciously welcomed all the dignitaries, scholars, all the resource persons and all the attendees, she also gave a brief overview of the broad theme of the event and further provided an abstract of the enlightening discussion of the two-day samagam.
The speeches delivered during the ceremony by the dignitaries emphasized the importance of reviving and integrating ancient Indian legal knowledge into the modern legal system. The Chief Guest, Hon’ble Mr. Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad, highlighted the need to explore ancient ideas for their potential application in contemporary legal frameworks.
A vote of thanks was delivered by Dr. Niladri Mondal, Assistant Professor Cum Organizing Co-Secretary, Jharkhand Vidhigya Samagam, Chotanagpur Law College, Ranchi who thanked each of the esteemed guests, scholars, legal luminaries, all the attendees and the organizing and supporting staff and outlined the importance of the seminar in a modern legal landscape.
Key Takeaways
- The Jharkhand Vidhigya Samagam provided a platform for legal scholars and students to explore the rich history of law in ancient India.
- The event highlighted the potential of incorporating ancient legal principles into the modern legal system.
- The discussions emphasized the importance of understanding the historical roots of law for its contemporary application.
- The event aimed to bridge the gap between Western and Indian legal systems and promote the indigenization of legal education in India.
Overall Significance
The Jharkhand Vidhigya Samagam served as a significant platform for legal scholars and students to engage in a critical discourse on the relationship between ancient Indian legal principles and the modern legal system. The event’s success paves the way for further exploration and integration of these ancient legal concepts into the contemporary legal landscape of India.