Legal Literacy Course Now Mandatory in Punjab in Context of More Global Educational Push By Legal Community Leaders

The Times of India just reported that it will be mandatory for all students in colleges affiliated with Panjab University to take legal literacy as a subject. One article in the Times of India reports that the  Nishta Jaswal, Chairperson of the Department of Law, stated that this decision was made because "all students require legal knowledge."  Although the course has not yet been designed, it appears as if it will be a survey course designed to deliver only the underlying basics to the students in the course. Compared with a mandatory course in road safety (also mandatory at Panjab), the article noted that the course will be designed in a manner that will not distract students from other rigorous courses.

The announcement of this course comes in the context of what would appear like a more global push by the leaders of the legal and educational community in Punjab to advance legal knowledge in the general population.  

• In this month alone, Legal Literacy Youth Festivals were held at both Dev Raj Hi-Tech College and Apeejay College of Fine Arts. From what I can tell from local news reports, these festivals include contests involve skits, poetry, poster presentations, and photography on a variety of social topics like domestic violence, child labor, and other social ills, designed to increase awareness among the citizenry of their rights with regards to these issues.
• Punjab Newsline reported last week that government schools in Chandigarh will sponsor legal literacy clubs in high schools and colleges with the aim of making student members a bridge between people in need of legal aid and the legal services entities.  Despite a literacy rate of 86.4 percent, many are unaware of their legal rights to escape abuse, access government services, and with regard to interactions with the police.
• On November 12th of this year, the Times of India reported that the legal literacy clubs have become a "real hit" and have increased interactions between students and lawyers in the locations in which these clubs have been established. 

 .

  

 

.