Lok Sabha Question No. 320 (STARRED), answered on 2021-03-17
Subject: Legal Literacy Outreach Programmes
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Meenakashi Lekhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *320

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, 17 th  MARCH, 2021.

## Legal Literacy Outreach Programmes

## *320.SHRIMATI MEENAKASHI LEKHI:

## Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of Legal Literacy outreach programmes conducted in the past three years;
- (b) the  total  number  of  women  legal  representatives  trained  through these outreach programmes; and
- (c) whether  the  Government,  through  State  Women  Commissions, proposes to expand the areas covered and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF LAW & JUSTICE, COMMUNICATIONS AND

## ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

- (a) to (c): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

***

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (c)  OF LOK  SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO. * 320  FOR  ANSWER  ON 17.03.2021 REGARDING 'LEGAL LITERACY OUTREACH PROGRAMMES'.

(a)  To  make  people  aware  of  their  legal  entitlements  as  well  as  their  duties, Legal  Awareness  programmes  are  held  across  the  country  by  National  Legal Services  Authority  (NALSA).  More  than  6.59  lakh  Legal  Awareness  Camps have  been  organized  by  Legal  Service  Authorities from  April,  2017  to December,  2020  which  were  attended  by  more  than  8.34  crore  citizens.  In addition, Legal Empowerment Camps are also organized by NALSA focusing on poor, weak and marginalized people to connect them with their entitlements under the law and the welfare schemes. 5898 camps have been organized from the  year  2017  to  2020  which  has  benefitted  more  than  82.41  lakh  citizens. Furthermore,  the  Government  is  implementing  the  programme  of  'Access  to Justice  in  North  Eastern  States  and  UTs  of  Jammu  &  Kashmir  and  Ladakh' since 2012. Under this programme, legal literacy/legal awareness and legal aid clinics  are  held  in  collaboration  with  State  Legal  Services  Authorities,  State Institute  of  Rural  Development,  State  Women  Commissions,  State  Resource Centres, etc. During the last three years, 4265 Legal Awareness /Legal Literacy programs have been conducted reaching out to 4.6 lakh beneficiaries including 158 Legal Aid Clinics.

(b)  Women  constitute  a  substantial  part  of  the  Legal  Service  Authorities workforce in the capacity of Panel Lawyers and Para Legal Volunteers (PLVs). At present, 11,329 female Panel Lawyers and 19,404 female PLVs are attached with  the  Legal  Services  Authorities.  This  workforce  is  trained  by  NALSA through specialised training modules held at regular intervals.

(c)  National  Legal  Services  Authority  (NALSA)  in  collaboration  with  the National  Commission  for  Women  has  launched  a  project,  'Empowering Women through Legal Awareness'' on 15 th of August, 2020. Under this Project, legal  literacy  programmes  for  women  were  carried  out  in  285  districts  in  the States  of  Andhra  Pradesh,  Assam,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Maharashtra,  Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Legal awareness programmes were held with the overarching objective of making women aware of their relevant rights  and  protections  available  for  them  under  the  various  laws  and  enhance their capacities to advance their rights and navigate the judicial and administrative  set  up  for  actualization  of  their  rights.  From  15.08.2020  to 31.12.2020,  675  programmes  were  held  under  the  said  project  which  were attended by 34,621 women. In addition, the Government in partnership with the State  Commission  for  Women,  Arunachal  Pradesh  disseminated  6.02  lakh copies of Information Education and Communication materials on issues related to women and children. Furthermore, the Government in collaboration with the State  Commission  for  Women,  Meghalaya  trained  350  tribal  women  as Resource Persons for spreading legal literacy at the grass root level.

************