Bhubaneswar, Feb. 9: Efforts are on to revive the student legal literacy clubs in high schools of Odisha with the help of Odisha State Legal Services Authority (OSLSA).
Although, the camps were established around 2010-11, they failed to remain operational.
All necessary expenses regarding the club will be borne by the OSLAS. School and mass education secretary Usha Padhee has shot off letters to all the officials concerned to extend their cooperation to the authority and instruct the district education officers to ask the headmasters to extend necessary cooperation and provide facilities for functioning of the clubs in their respective schools.
Fifteen high schools for each district have been identified for setting up of the club in which students belonging to classes VIII and IX will be enrolled.
Authorities of the OSLSA are taking steps to prepare a model booklet on “lessons in law” for use of the club members in Odia language.
The primary function of the student legal literacy club will be to spread legal literacy and awareness in their neighbourhood and act as a bridge between the persons in need of legal services and the legal services institutions functioning nearest to them.
The events and activities of the club include identifying persons in their neighbourhood who deserve legal aid or assistance and who are in need of protecting their rights conferred by law, and to refer those persons, to their nearest legal services institutions
The students will spread legal literacy and awareness through rallies, door-to-door visit in the neighbouring areas, interface with small groups of villagers, road shows, distribution of leaflets and study materials containing information on legal services, pre-litigation and settlement of disputes.
Various competitions such as essay, debate and drawing and others are among the club members on important issues will be organised at district, zonal and state level to create awareness among the students.