Lok Sabha Question No. 2148 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-10
Subject: Samta Nyay Kendras
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Parvesh Sahib Singh

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-2148

TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY THE 10/12/2021

## SAMTA NYAY KENDRAS

## 2148. SHRI PARVESH SAHIB SINGH VERMA:

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

- (a)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  'Samta  Nyay  Kendra',  recently inaugurated as a centre for providing legal awareness, training and services to the transgender community;
- (b)  if  so,  whether  the  Government  is  considering  to  open  more  such  centres for transgenders  and  general  public  as  well  to  make  legal  awareness  more common place, if so, the details thereof; and
- (c)  if  not,  the  alternate  measures taken  by  the  Government to increase the legal awareness in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF LAW & JUSTICE (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

(a) to  (c)  Yes  Sir.  Under  the  National  Legal  Services  Authority  (Legal  Services Clinics)  Regulations,  2011,  the  District  Legal  Services  Authority  (DLSA),  UT Chandigarh  in  association  with  Chandigarh  State  Aids  Control  Society  and Association of Professional Social Workers & Development Practitioners (APSWDP),  has  opened  a  Legal  Services  Clinic,  exclusively  to  provide  legal services to transgender community, which is named as 'Samta Nyay Kendra'. The  objective  of  this  Kendra  is  to  provide  counselling  and  help  to transgender  persons  to  redress  their  legal  grievances  and  Panel  Lawyers  and Para Legal Volunteers are deputed on need-based assignments by the DLSA. The effort  is  to  provide  legal  services  through  the  Para  Legal  Volunteers  from within members of the transgender community in an inclusive atmosphere. The said  Kendra  is  also  spreading  legal  awareness  regarding  various  rights  and entitlements of the transgender persons. Five  such  exclusive  Legal  Services  Clinics  have  also  been  set  up  at locations  having  predominant  transgender  community  in  five  districts  of  Tamil Nadu namely Namakkal, Tiruvallur, Tirunelveli, Madurai and Thanjavur. Further, 12,467 Legal Services Clinics are functioning throughout the country which are manned  by  Para-Legal Volunteers and Panel Lawyers. In these clinics, disadvantaged  people  are  provided  help  to  get  their  legal  problems  solved. Besides  legal  advice,  other  services  such  as  drafting  of  various  applications, petitions, etc. are also provided in such clinics. In addition, Government implemented Legal Literacy and Legal Awareness programme in North Eastern States and UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and  Ladakh  from  2012  till  2021.  Under  this  programme,  legal  literacy/legal awareness  and  legal  aid  clinics  were  held  in  collaboration  with  State  Legal Services Authorities, State Institute of  Rural  Development,  State  Women Commissions,  State  Resource  Centres,  etc.  4390  Legal  Awareness  /  Legal Literacy  programs  have  been  conducted  reaching  out  to  4.8  lakh  beneficiaries including  158  Legal  Aid  Clinics.  This  programme  has  been  expanded  to  Pan India level from 2021.

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