Over five years after the National legal Services Authority (NAlSA) mooted a scheme to establish legal Services Cadet Corps (lCC) in the schools on the lines of NSS and NCC, the Jharkhand State legal Services Authority (JHAlSA) will roll out the much awaited drive in over 3000 schools on June 28, for the first time in the country.
Governor Droupadi Murmu, Chief Minister Raghubar Das and Supreme Court Judge Justice Ranjan Gogoi among others will be present on the occasion at the State’s Judicial Academy on the occasion.
Acting Chief Justice D N Patel, who also happens to be the Executive Chairman, JHAlSA, told The Pioneer that lCC scheme is a NAlSA programme for involving the children in national service.
JHAlSA had opened more than 600 legal literacy clubs in the schools of tribal and marginalized sections on society. “We will take this programme with the support of the State Government to over 3000 schools involving more than one lakh students initially,” he added.
Justice Patel said that the lCC would be set up in all the government schools with the object of inculcating values in children, especially in relation to the fundamental duties of citizens under Part IV-A of the Constitution. Members of legal literacy Clubs may be enrolled as cadets in the Corps under the captaincy of the teacher in-charge of the legal literacy Clubs.
Adding that legal literacy Clubs have helped in the growth of legal literacy since 501 such clubs were set up on December 12, 2016 at one go making it to the entry in limca Book of Records, he said that the lCC students have to watch from within their own community, people who are vulnerable and need access to legal services. Contd on Page 2
“There could be various reasons, including political, social and economic, which deprive people from getting access to legal service as well as entitlements. “lCC students can find these cases of injustice and help them avail legal services and their entitlements under law right from village to the state level,” he pointed out.
He said that a large number of people, particularly tribals and Dalits are ignorant of the existing laws and because of that they don't know what to do in a crisis situation and this in fact is disempowering them apart from the mental inhibitions which are a resultant effect.
“I feel that most of the children fall prey to nefarious activities or develop mob psychology due to poverty of legal knowledge. “ If they inculcate values and get knowledge of laws, they will not fall prey to evil designs of the anti-socials. Rather, they will stop others to join any subversive group,” he maintained.
Under the scheme, they will get uniforms and the school’s Principal will be the lt. Colonel of the Corps. The smartest amongst the Cadets may be designated as the Senior Under Officer. They can also play social volunteers during emergency and older among them even regulate traffic on certain occasions.
During summer/winter vacations, camps of the different units of lCC may be organized for a day or two at a convenient place under the guidance of the District legal Services Authority. During the camp, mock legal services activities, lok Adalats, children’s court and other innovative programmes may be organized under the control of a Captain.