Chief Justice honours daughter of Supreme Court cook who won US scholarships

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and other Supreme Court judges on Wednesday felicitated the daughter of a cook at the Supreme Court.

Who won scholarships to study Master’s in Law at either the University of California or the University of Michigan in the United States. The Chief Justice and the other judges assembled at the judges’ lounge earlier this morning and gave a standing ovation to Pragya, daughter of Ajay Kumar Samal.

“We know Pragya has managed something on her own, but we will ensure she manages to get whatever is required… We expect that she should come back to serve the country,” Justice Chandrachud said after the felicitation.

He added, “Whatever she does, she will achieve in excellance and she will carry the dreams of 1.4 billion people on her shoulders very easily”. Justice Chandrachud gifted the 25-year-old woman three books on the Indian Constitution signed by all the judges of the top court.

As a recognition of their struggle, the Chief Justice offered shawls to Pragya’s parents. Pragya, who thanked Justice Chandrachud and others for felicitating her, noted that it was with the help of her father and mother that she could scale the heights of her career excellence.

“I think I am very privileged to be his child. He has helped me since my school days, and he always made sure that I get the opportunities that I should get,” she said. Her inspiration to enter into the legal profession was Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Pragya noted.

“With the live streaming of court hearings, everyone can watch him (Justice Chandrachud) speaking. He encourages young lawyers, and his words are like gems. He is my inspiration,” she told the news agency PTI.