Justice N. Santosh Hegde, a former judge of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, who also served as the Solicitor General of India and the Loka Yukta of Karnataka, is renowned for delivering landmark judgments in the fields of criminal law and public service law and is equally respected for his philanthropic work, having been honored with many prestigious awards in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the nation.
On August 13th , he was invited to deliver a lecture at KIIT University on the topic “Fall in Social Values and Its Consequences,”.
At the outset of the programme, Justice Hegde was warmly felicitated by the Founder of KIIT University, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, a gesture reflecting the institution’s deep admiration for his exemplary service and integrity. This was followed by a welcome address from Prof. (Dr.) Rose Varghese, Director of the KIIT School of Law, who warmly remarked that Justice Hegde is welcome not only today but every day at the university to guide and enlighten the students with his wisdom. She also proudly noted that KIIT School of Law stands on par with other law Institutions including the National Law Universities, and is in fact second to none offering top-class infrastructure, outstanding Faculty, and a rich teaching learning experience.
In his lecture Justice Hegde emphasized the importance of humanism and the pursuit of contentment. Justice N. Santosh Hegde has said that greed makes a person ignore all boundaries of honesty and fairness, a thought that directly connects to the scams which have drained India’s wealth over the decades such as 2G Spectrum Scam where the country lost near about ₹1.76 lakh crore, the Commonwealth Games Scam where ₹70,000 crore were lost , Coal Allocation Scam where 1.86 lakh crore were lost and many more such scams in which the country suffered huge losses.
Justice Hegde, shared some of his real life experiences. In the first, he recalled a man hit by a truck whose body was split into two, even then, the man requested to donate his eyes, showing true selflessness. In another instance, during a hospital inspection, he questioned a doctor delaying a postmortem, reminding him that duty allows no such choice. These moments, he stressed, show how true values lie in compassion, responsibility, and selfless service.
Concluding his speech he reminded that true happiness lies not in wealth or power, but in contentment, which comes from leading a life of integrity and service.
After Justice Hegde’s speech, Prof. (Dr.) N. L. Mitra, former Chancellor of KIIT-DU and a distinguished academician, shared an anecdote about an intern who once worked under Justice Hegde and how under his mentorship the intern learnt invaluable lessons and is now a senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of India. Prof. Mitra commended Justice Hegde’s unwavering commitment to truth and justice, observing that such guidance has nurtured a generation of professionals dedicated to upholding ethical values in the legal field. He further urged students to draw inspiration from Justice Hegde’s life and work, and to strive for excellence grounded in ethics.
Dr. Shyamantak Misra, Assistant Professor, School of Law, KIIT-DU anchored the programme.
