In a bid to create a legally aware citizens for future, a ‘legal literacy Club’ was today inaugurated at Delhi Public School to provide knowledge of law and to inculcate disciplined citizen for the society. The club has been touted to develop an understanding of roles and responsibility among other things in a child from school days.
The club and several such clubs across the State are being established in the wake of the Supreme Court of India directive to build institutions to instill legal awareness among students. The institution within institutions will also aim at making students aware of the rights of different sections of the society and would encourage basic behaviours towards other people and society.
On the occasion, Supreme Court Judge, SJ Mukhopadhaya stressed upon ethical behaviour and also making a good beginning at home rather than exhibiting in the society. Besides, the SC Judge also emphasized on rights of parents, elders, servants, friends and upholding rights of others.
“Please look at what are the rights of others. Whether I am treating equally to allIJ These are the ethics you should start at the beginning as a student. You understand, you try to imbibe it first and preach in family first, not in the society,” said Mukhopadhaya.
The literacy club would also be a point for sharing legal information which is the very basis of the programme. The club will impart elementary knowledge of law and develop understanding of basic laws to help them apply in certain situations. The missing aspect of students and help them develop understanding of legal matters is likely to be addressed by the club.
“legal literacy has been a matter of grave concern in today’s society. The failure of the execution of many laws has been attributed to the lack of awareness. Especially school children who are at the preparatory stage of their life should be essentially aware of minimum legal rights that will help them lead a better student life and also help them to become responsible citizens of the country,” said Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court, Virender Singh.
The club extends the basic premises of legal studies to enlighten the students and thus realizing the importance of ignoring legal matters and its consequences. Mutual enlightenment of legal frame work in existence for varied sections of the society is at the core of the principle behind the idea of the club for citizens in their early life.
“Each and every student should know basic law as ignorance of law is no excuse. Knowledge of law is equally important as without knowledge it is difficult to go ahead in life successfully. What we know we must share. The basic route of legal literacy is to share the law for access to justice,” said Judge of Jharkhand High Court, DN Patel.
The club will provide literature related to child laws, constitutional provisions, cruelty against women, dowry, child marriages, female foeticide, un-touchability and duties of a good citizen among many other things enshrined in the Constitution.
A set of 12 booklets has been prepared covering 32 topics to address the curiosity of school children and the reading material also covers 101 questions about the police along with their answers besides seven different topics regarding laws and duties expected from a responsible citizen of a society. likewise laws related to differently-abled persons as well as provisions of arbitration available to us while a case was pending before the court of law. The scheme is being run by National legal Services Authority of India (NAlSA).