" Conducting Legal Literacy Camps for generating legal awareness in the state of Chattisgarh as part of the National Legal Literacy Mission”

One third of the population of the State of Chhattisgarh is tribal, residing in dense forests in the North & South. Nearly 80% of the state’s population resides in rural areas. The literacy rate of the state is below the national average and that of females is also extremely low. The unique presence of a significant percentage of tribes and communities lend a distinctive culture to the state. Striving to preserve their indigenous identities and ways of life, these tribes, however share a common philosophy of veneration of natural resources like water, forests and land on which their lives are so intrinsically dependant.

In the State of Chhattisgarh RLEK has conducted 32 camps in 8 districts. The total numbers of the beneficiaries in the State were 2574. The districts covered under this project were Bilaspur, Korba, Sarguja, Bastar, Kanker, Raigarh, Korea and Champa-Janjgeer. The objective of conducting these camps was creating legal awareness, ensuring legal emancipation, enabling the disadvantaged communities to perceive possibilities for reforms and bring about a desired change by exercising informed choices through collective action. Though the project envisaged thirty camps but keeping in view the needs of the community two additional one day camps were conducted in Dantewada and Korba districts.

Another unique feature of the camp was that legal literacy camps were also conducted for the under trials & convicts to help them out with their various legal problems at the jails. The objective of the camp so conducted was to provide legal aid and legal advice to all those who were in need of it. The people were enlightened about their rights that were either guaranteed under the Constitution of India or under various other laws like the Right to Information Act 2005, Fair trial, Fundamental rights etc. and also information regarding filing of F.I.R.

"Legal Literacy Camps for Women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other disadvantaged sections of the society in the state of Jharkhand”

In the state of Jharkhand legal literacy gains momentum, as it is a new state and is home to a substantial population of tribals. Infact, in some of the districts of Jharkhand, the tribal population predominates, the non tribal one. Jharkhand has more than thirty tribal groups. The literacy rate in Jharkhand according to the survey conducted in 2001 is 59.13% and female literacy rate which is still lower is at 49.38%. The literacy rate amongst tribals is as low as 16.99%. Also the naxal movement which is gaining pace in rural Jharkhand makes the disadvantaged sections vulnerable to abuse. Therefore, a need was felt to carry out vigorous and intensive legal literacy awareness drives through camps so that the marginalized communities become equal partakers in the development of the nation and can also assert their rights.

In the State of Jharkhand 30 camps were conducted. Total numbers of beneficiaries were 2298. Women participation in the camps outnumbered the men - 82% female as compared to 18% males participated in the camps. These 30 camps were conducted in 8 District of the State of Jharkhand. The districts covered were Gumla, Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Garwa, Lohardugga, Pakur, Paschim Singhbhumi and Latehar.

"Follow-up of the Legal literacy camps conducted for Elected Women Panchayati Raj Representatives, SCs and STs in the State of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh and Camps for dissemination of new Laws” Uttarakhand is a new State and a need was felt to conduct legal literacy camps in the State in order to generate legal awareness amongst the people especially the marginalized and Elected Women Panchayat Raj Representatives. Also the State is home to a large tribal population and villages in the State are hours walk from the road head making them inaccessible. In the year 2005-2006 RLEK conducted legal literacy camps in the States of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh and a need was felt to conduct follow-ups of the camps conducted as well as organize more such camps. This task was undertaken under the project to conduct Follow –up of Legal literacy Camps conducted for Elected Women Panchayat Raj Representatives, SCs and STs and camps for dissemination of new laws during the financial year 2006-2007. In the state of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh 10 legal literacy camps and 20 Follow-up camps in a total of 9 districts of Uttarakhand State and one district of Himachal Pradesh were conducted. The total numbers of beneficiaries in the legal literacy camps were 1149. The legal literacy camps were conducted in the districts of Dehradun, Pauri, Kangra (Himachal Pradesh), Almora and Haridwar. Follow-up camps were conducted in the districts of Bageshwar, Almora, Nainital, Haridwar, Dehradun, Tehri Garwhal, Uttarkashi and Champawat. The total numbers of beneficiaries in these follow-up camps were 855. The main objective of the follow up camps for Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) was to address various problems being faced by them.

“Legal literacy camps for the marginalised communities in the State of Jharkhand” The State of Jharkhand is a newly formed State this 28th state of the Indian Union was brought into existence by the Bihar reorganization Act on November 15, 2000. Forests and woodlands in Jharkhand occupy more than 29% of the state, which is amongst the highest in India. In Jharkhand in all 50 camps were conducted in the districts of Ranchi, Latehar, Lohardagga, Pakur, Sahibganj, Khunti, Jamtara, Girideh, Devgarh, Dumka and Godda and a total of 3486 people participated in these camps. RLEK has also organized a “State Interactive Meet of Women, Members of Self-Help Group members especially those belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes with the Higher Judiciary in the State of Jharkhand” on 16-18 February 2008 in Mecon Community Hall, Ranchi.