Emphasizing that law is the essence of any civilized society, President Pranab Mukherjee said on Thursay that the first task of lawyers is to uphold the Constitution in its letter and spirit and protect fundamental rights of the people under all circumstances.
Mukherjee was addressing a gathering of Bachelorette of law students from West Bengal's Mohsin College who had called on the President at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
The President also stated that the students represent a premiere and pioneering institution of West Bengal whose brilliant alumni included illustrious luminaries like Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.
He said that in a living democracy and growing society, neither the Constitution nor the basic principles of statecraft can remain rigid and stagnant. This is because new situations keep emerging which must be addressed within the framework of the Constitution.
A number of amendments to the Constitution have, therefore, taken place. The President said that the principle of equality, liberty, fraternity and social justice should always remain uppermost in their minds.
The students are in Delhi for the educational tour to observe the proceedings of the Supreme Court of India.