Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi donates his Rajya Sabha salary to offer scholarship to law students

Former Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi, has instituted a scholarship programme for aspiring legal students. This scholarship is open to deserving students set to pursue a five-year integrated bachelor course in law (BA-LLB) from any recognized institution in Assam or outside the state. The scholarship programme will start from the academic session commencing this year (2022). Students already pursuing the course can also apply.

The scholarship fund has been created out of the salary and allowances that Justice Gogoi has earned as a Rajya Sabha member since he took oath as a nominated member in March 2020. It may be mentioned that the former chief justice did not take a single penny as salary during his entire stint in the upper house.

While talking about the objective of the scholarship, Justice Gogoi told India Today NE: “Rule of law is the essence of free life. Law is omnipresent. Its parameters and enforcement are regulated by the judiciary. Therefore, legal education to train young minds to become a part of the judicial institution, with what I had been associated with for decades, is vital for the society and the nation. There are many bright and promising youngsters, who I have seen, had to forsake pursuing legal studies—and hence a career in law—for lack of resources. It is for such students this endowment has been created.”

The former CJI, known for his free legal services when he used to practise as a lawyer in the Gauhati High Court, hopes that students who benefit from this scholarship will remember their responsibility towards society and will come forward to help the poor and needy too. “The country needs quality lawyers, particularly for the poorer sections of society who often fail to access legal support,” says Justice Gogoi, who last year authored the best-selling book Justice for the Judge, a no holds barred account of his legal career.

The scholarship will be in the form of reimbursement of tuition fees as well as hostel accommodation for selected students. It will be for the entire duration of the course. For those who are already pursuing the course, the scholarship will cover the remaining period. Interested students can e-mail their applications to law.scholarshipmpf@gmail.com by the end of August. They must furnish the following details: name, contact number, email, address, name of institution enrolled in, name, of course, scores obtained in 10th and 11th board along with a copy of mark sheet, average annual family income of last three years along with supporting documents and statement in support of the application in not more than 200 words.