International Women’s Day was celebrated in Karnataka Law Society’s Raja Lakhamagouda Law college in Belagavi on Monday.

Yashodha Vantagodi, SP (Lokayukta), northern range, inaugurated the event and addressed students. She gave away prizes to winners of various competitions. She urged young lawyers to utilise their time in law colleges to develop their personalities apart from gaining knowledge.

“Young lawyers can bring change in society by taking up prevailing issues. In a way, they assume leadership of various sections of society,” she said. But, this power should be balanced with humility. Lawyers should be role models for young people and lead by example,” she said. Lawyers and police officers should work in tandem to ensure fair trial in the courts, she said. She urged law students to plan for a future ahead of their degree. You have to imbibe knowledge that given to you by teachers and practising advocates. But youth should not be content with just a degree. They should aspire for competitive examinations too. To prepare for this, you should take a decision about whether you want to pass or to gain knowledge,” Ms. Vantagodi said. She shared her experience of battling various challenges in various wings of the police departments like crime prevention, traffic management and anti corruption.

S.V. Ganachari, chairman of the college governing council, said the occasion was not just to celebrate the success of women, but also to remind ourselves that even now, women were not treated equally in many countries. All of us need to realise that we need to create equal opportunities to women in all walks of life, he said. Amendments to section 6 of the Indian succession Act had give coparcenary rights to women in ancestral property. He also hailed the recent Triple Talaq Act as it provided relief to women of a particular section of the society.

He offered to create an internship programme for law students to work with the police to gain practical knowledge about the criminal justice system.

Principal A.H. Hawaldar welcomed the guests. Shilpa Raikar, chair person in charge of cultural activities, Shreya utture, general secretary, Pooja Badakundri, ladies representative, counselors Kshama Bhat, Nivedita Dixit and others were present.