PRAYAGRAJ, Nov. 2 -- Chief Justice of India BR Gavai on Saturday said the collegium system has enabled the judiciary in the country to be strong, independent and free from the executive or Parliamentary interference. He was speaking as the chief guest at the symposium "Constitution and Constitutionalism: The Philosophy of Dr BR Ambedkar" organised by Allahabad University. He was felicitated on the occasion and a citation was presented to him. Noting that while the Constitution mandates that appointments to the high courts and the Supreme Court be made by the President in consultation with the Chief Justices of the states and the CJI, judicial interpretation has led to the evolution of the collegium system unlike other countries. "No doubt that we have always been criticised that this is the only country where judges appoint themselves but this allegation is not true. While making the appointment of judges, the views of the state governments, the central gov- ernment, the governor, the chief minister of the state, the law department and the IB are all taken on board by the collegium and wherever the reservations expressed by the gover- nment are found to be with basis, the collegium always gives due respect to it," he said. He also said that the country has remained strong and united because of Dr BR Ambedkar's Constitution, which sets us apart from neighbouring countries like Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka that have witnessed turmoil. Justice Gavai said the Indian Constitution has stood the test of time over the past 75 years, effectively guiding the nation through both external crises and internal issues, and ensuring that India remains united as envisioned by Ambedkar. In his address as the guest of hour, Justice Vikram Nath of the Supreme Court lauded Ambedkar as "the visionary who gave India its moral and constitutional compass." He noted that few figures in modern history have combined intellect, statesmanship, and compassion as seamlessly as he did. "Dr Ambedkar was not merely the chief architect of the Indian Constitution but also the draftsman of modern India's democratic conscience. He transformed the abstract ideals of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity into a living philosophy of governance that continues to guide us today," Justice Nath said. He highlighted Ambe- dkar's belief that the cultiv- ation of minds should be the ultimate aim of human existence. "To Dr Ambedkar, true freedom was not merely the right to vote or equality of opportunity but the liberation of the mind from ignorance, prejudice and fear. He believed that the progress of a nation depended on the progress of its people's minds. A society may have laws, but without proud, educated, and enlightened citizens, those laws are meaningless," he said. Justice Arun Bhansali, Chief Justice of the Allahabad high court, hailed Ambedkar as a "visionary whose life and work laid the very foundation of modern India. Justice Bhansali said as the chief architect of the Indian constitution, Ambedkar's vision went far beyond the drafting of a legal document. It was a revolutionary charter for social transformation, he said. Justice Bhansali said that to Ambedkar, the Constitution was not merely a text of governance but a moral promise to build a just nation grounded in equality and fraternity. The event was presided over by AU vice-chancellor Sangita Srivastava. Earlier, the CJI, along with Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Bhansali, inaugurated the new chemistry building, the lecture theatre complex, and the new reading hall of the central library building at AU. The CJI also visited Kaushambi and attended a school annual function....