When 66-year-old S G Birader accepted a postgraduate degree at the 21st convocation of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) here on Sunday, he was probably one of the oldest students to do so.

A former KAS (Karnataka Administrative Service) officer, Birader has served in the departments of food and civil supplies, irrigation, municipal administration, housing and urban development, among others, of the State government. He joined the MBL (Masters in Business) distance programme after retiring six years ago. “I did not want to remain inactive after retirement,” he said. The distance programme at NLSIU offers some flexibility.

A continuous process

Learning has been a continuous process for Birader and age has not been an impediment at all. After obtaining an MA in Economics, he went ahead to study MA LLB. For sometime, he even taught at a government school in Coorg. Birader joined the MBL course because “I felt my knowledge about law was still very inadequate.” In addition, the motivation to teach law also prompted him to study the course.

“A person may be entitled to human rights, constitutional rights, etc but of what use it is to him if he/she has no knowledge about it. A law like the Right to Information (RTI) can become a source of strength only if people have access to it and know how to use it,” Birader remarked. 

At present, Birader is working to promote legal literacy among people in the State. As a participant in the State’s legal aid services, a programme to increase legal literacy among common people, he has been involved in organising legal camps, among others.