Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU), Raipur, held its 8th Convocation on March 8, 2025, at Hotel Babylon Capital, Raipur. The ceremony saw the conferring of degrees to 161 students of B.A. LL.B. (Hons.), out of which 125 students received their degrees in person and 26 students in absentia. Additionally, 90 students of LL.M. graduated, with 57 students receiving their degrees in person and 30 students in absentia. A Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree was also awarded to a scholar for their exemplary research contribution.
Dignitaries and Address
The Convocation was graced by Justice P.S. Narasimha, Judge, Supreme Court of India, and Member, Executive Council, HNLU, who served as the Chief Guest and delivered the Convocation Address. He emphasized the significance of legal education in nation-building and the role of young legal professionals in upholding constitutional values.
The event was also attended by Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra, Judge, Supreme Court of India, and Shri Arun Sao, Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, as Guests of Honour. Justice Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice of the High Court of Chhattisgarh & Chancellor, HNLU, conferred the degrees upon the graduating students.
Other distinguished guests included Justice Sanjay K. Agrawal, Judge, Chhattisgarh High Court, Justice P. Sam Koshy, Judge, Telangana High Court, and Justice G. Raghuram, Former Director, National Judicial Academy, Bhopal.
Awards and Recognitions
One of the highlights of the Convocation was the awarding of 36 Gold Medals to outstanding students, including 10 UG and 3 PG students for their exceptional academic performance. The medals awarded included:
- Chancellor's Gold Medal
- University Gold Medal for the Best Outgoing Student
- Chhattisgarh State Bar Council Gold Medal
- Late Kamal Narayan Sharma Gold Medal
- Late Smt. Shanti Devi Agrawal Memorial Gold Medal
- Shri Vidyadhar Mishra Memorial Gold Medal
- Dinesh Prasad Srivastava Memorial Gold Medal
- Late Shri Hamidullah Khan Ex-MLA Kabirdham Gold Medal
- Late K.P. Munshi Gold Medal
- Syed Wakil Ahmed Rizvi Gold Medal, among others.
HNLU's Achievements and Milestones
The Convocation also highlighted HNLU's remarkable achievements over the past year:
- Launch of CG-LEARN (Chhattisgarh Legal Education & Research Network)
- Launch of H-VISA (Visiting International Scholars Academy)
- MoU with Texas A&M University (HNLU's first international collaboration)
- MoU with Chhattisgarh Police for training on new criminal laws
- Hosting of the First International Moot Court Competition (HIMCC) & NHRC National Moot Court Competition
Prof. V.C. Vivekanandan, Vice-Chancellor, HNLU, was also appointed as the President of the Consortium of National Law Universities. Under his leadership, HNLU hosted eminent jurists for its Annual Memorial Lecture Series, including:
- Justice M.R. Shah, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India (Swami Vivekananda Memorial Lecture, 2025)
- Justice G. Raghuram, Former Director, NJA (Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Memorial Lecture, 2025)
- Prof. (Dr.) R. Venkat Rao, Vice-Chancellor, IIULER Goa (Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Lecture, 2025)
HNLU also released:
- Two volumes of the HNLU Journal of Law & Social Sciences
- Editions 3 & 4 of the HNLU Gazette (bi-annual newsletter)
- An edited book on Blockchain, Cryptocurrency & Fintech Measures
HNLU has consistently contributed to legal education in India and was ranked 5th among Law Colleges by India Today.