Lok Sabha Question No. 1398 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-28
Subject: Campaigns for Legal Awareness in Rural Areas
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Poonam (Mahajan) Vajendla Rao, Ramya  Haridas

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-1398 ANSWERED ON 28.07.2023

## CAMPAIGNS FOR LEGAL AWARENESS IN RURAL AREAS

## 1398.SHRIMATI POONAM MAHAJAN: MS. RAMYA HARIDAS:

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

- (a) whether any special campaigns are being run by the Government to create an awareness about the process of law and justice in rural areas;
- (b) if so, the details of the said campaigns;
- (c) the number of people who have availed the benefits from such campaigns so far;
- (d) the  number  of  such  campaigns  being  run  in  the  State  of  Maharashtra  and  Kerala, location-wise;
- (e) whether the Government is considering to intensify such special campaigns across the country; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE; MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE (SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)

- (a) to  (c)  National  Legal  Services  Authority  (NALSA)  carried  out  a  six  week  Legal Awareness and Outreach campaign from 2 nd  October to 14 th November, 2021 as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to reach each and every village/Urban areas of the country in order  to  maximize  the  outreach  of  Legal  Services  Authorities  as  well  as  to  spread awareness regarding the availability of free legal services.

The major activities carried out during the above campaign included door-to-door campaigns,  legal  awareness  programs,  awareness  through  mobile  vans  and  awareness through legal aid clinics. Apart from these major activities, the Legal Services Authorities organised  specific  legal  awareness  programs  for  women  and  children,  organised  mega legal services camps, programs for children who lost either or both parents due to covid, exhibitions  at  State  and  District  level,  moot  court  competitions  for  students  of  law universities,  etc.  During  this  period  1623  Legal  Services  Mega  Camps  were  organised wherein more than 75.64 lakh people were benefited.

Further, Nationwide Legal awareness and outreach programme campaigns namely 'Empowerment of Citizens through Legal Awareness and Outreach' and 'Haq\_humara\_bhi\_to\_hai@75' were conducted from 31 st  October 2022 to 13 th November 2022, for bridging the gap between the institutions & the underprivileged by spreading legal awareness & ensuring delivery of legal entitlements to eligible beneficiaries and for providing basic legal assistance to persons confined in prisons and child care institutionsto commemorate the 75 th year of Independence respectively.

In  addition,  Department  of  Justice  is  running  a  scheme  DISHA  (Designing Innovative  Solutions  for  Holistic  Access  to  Justice)  under  which  there  is  a  specific component of Legal Literacy and Legal Awareness Programme through which awareness workshops on various national/local laws, rights, duties, entitlements, grievance redressals etc are organized and monthly webinar campaign covering broad-based sociallegal issues are conducted. Since 2021, 18 webinars have been organized virtually with support from CSC e-Gov and other Ministries/Departments and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). Topics like Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005,  Child Rights,  Fundamental  Duties,  the  Pre-Conception  and  Pre-Natal  Diagnostic Techniques  (Prohibition  of  Sex  Selection)  Act,  1994  and  the  Sexual  Harassment  of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, Gender Justice in  India,  Children  in  Conflict  with  Law  and  Children  in  Need  of  Care  and  Protection, Human  Trafficking  in  India,  Consumer  Protection,  Undertrial  Prisoners;  Rights  of Transgender  Persons;  Disability  Rights;  Rights  of  Senior  Citizens;  Child  Labour  and Rehabilitation of Acid Attack Survivors have been included so far. These webinars have reached out to more than 4.2 lakh participants via various social media platforms.

- (d) to (f) Location-wise number of such campaigns being run in the state of Maharashtra and Kerala is not maintained by NALSA. However, 14400 villages in Maharashtra and 733 villages in Kerala were visited thrice or more during the above campaignand 37 Legal Services Mega Camps in Maharashtraand 92 Legal Services Mega Camps in Kerala were organised  wherein  3,26,796  and  8,763  people  were  benefited  respectively.  Regarding consideration  of  intensifying  such  special  campaigns,  it  is  submitted  that  State  Legal Services Authorities may independently organise such campaigns at their own.Presently, there is no such proposal for organising any special campaign across the country.

Under  DISHA  scheme,  in  the  state  of  Maharashtra,  six  law  colleges  have constituted Pro Bono  Clubs  wherein  law  students  participate  and organize legal awareness  activities  in  the  villages.  In  addition,  Yashwantrao  Chavan  Academy  Of Development Administration (YASHADA),  State  Institute of Rural Development (SIRD), Pune one of the implementing agency under DISHA scheme is executing legal awareness programmes in four Aspirational districts of Nandurbar, Gadchiroli, Osmanabad and Washim. In the first phase, the programme has trained 500 volunteers as "Vidhidoots" in 100 Gram Panchayats of these Aspirational districts. These Vidhidoots will  conduct  legal  awareness  at  the  community  level.In  the  state  of  Kerela,  one  law college have constituted Pro Bono Club and legal awareness activities are organized in the villages adopted by the Law college.

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