New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment (DoSJE) and the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday to increase public awareness about social welfare schemes.
The agreement, signed at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi, aims to enhance access to legal and welfare support for marginalized communities across India.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Virendra Kumar, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, and Justice Sanjiv Khanna, a judge of the Supreme Court of India and the Executive Chairman of NALSA.
During the event, the SARTHIE 1.0 initiative was officially launched. This initiative focuses on empowering vulnerable communities, including Scheduled Castes (SCs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), senior citizens, transgender persons, victims of substance abuse, people engaged in begging, and denotified and nomadic tribes.
Under the partnership, State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs) and District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) will organise awareness camps throughout India.
These camps, led by para-legal volunteers and panel lawyers, will focus on educating communities about key legislations that protect marginalized groups, as per the MoU.
The five critical laws include the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1965, the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, and the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.
The SARTHIE 1.0 initiative also aligns with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly focusing on eradicating poverty, reducing inequality, and promoting social protection policies. This joint effort aims to bridge the gap in awareness and ensure effective implementation of government welfare programs for vulnerable communities through legal assistance, according to the MoU.
Justice Khanna emphasised the importance of this partnership in reinforcing social justice, stating that the collaboration between DoSJE and NALSA would ensure that marginalized sections of society are not only aware of their legal rights but also have the support needed to access government welfare schemes. PTI UZM NB NB
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