.jpg)
Symbiosis Law School, Pune (SLS-P) in association with Nani A. Palkhivala Memorial Trust, Mumbai hosted the Nani A. Palkhivala Memorial Elocution Competition on January 24, 2017 at the Moot Court Hall of SLS-P.
The objective behind organising the competition annually is to keep the memory of the Adv. Nani A. Palkhivala alive for time immemorial. Adv. Palkhivala was known for his interpretation of various provisions of the Constitution of India. Students from Sinhagad Law College, Shankarrao Chavan Law College, ILS Law College, DES Law College, Bharati Vidyapeeth University, Balaji Law College, AK Khan Law College, DY Patil Law College, and SLS, Pune participated in the Competition.
Shri S. V. Naik, (Retd.) Hon’ble District Judge, Adv. Abhijit Hartalkar, Prof. Amitabh Dasgupta, Associate Professor, Symbiosis Institute of Media Studies adjudged the competition. The competition was inaugurated by the auspicious Lighting of the Lamp ceremony by the dignitaries.
Dr. Shashikala Gurpur in her welcome address stressed on the importance of elocution & public speaking and encouraged students to take up the same. Dr. Gurpur also spoke about Nani A. Palkhivala, who overcame his stammering affliction, became one of the best orators in the country and a visionary in the legal profession. She concluded by referring to the competition and the field of public speaking as a “celebration of talent and youthful energy”. The address was followed by the felicitation of the esteemed judges by Dr. Gurpur.
The topics for elocution were ‘Collegium System versus NJAC – Transparency in Judiciary versus Independence of Judiciary’, ‘Need for a Uniform Civil Code’ and ‘Can the Internet Speed up Legal Proceedings?’
Quoting the Epic Ramayana, Shri S.V. Naik emphasised on the role of good oratory skills in the life of an advocate. Adv. Hartalkar gave a few tips on the effective delivery of an impactful speech within a limited span of time. Prof. Amitabh Dasgupta clarified the evaluation process for the competition to ensure transparency and apprised the audience of the significance of brevity & clarity in the public speaking.
Ganesh Gupte, Balaji Law College, Pune won the competition with cash prize worth Rs. 5,000/- . Anusha Rao of SLS-P and Aashrita Sachdev from Bharati Vidyapeeth University came second and third with cash prizes worth Rs. 3,000/- & Rs. 2,000/- respectively.
Dr. Aparajita Mohanty, Associate Professor, SLS-P gave the vote of thanks.
