Activities of the Legal Aid Society

This semester the Legal Aid Society has conducted a number of awareness programs in and around the University, as well as outside Kolkata the most notable of them being the RTI Camp at Ranchi between 6th-9th October 2009 aimed at creating awareness about the process of using the Right to Information.The camp was inaugurated by the Deputy Commissioner of Ranchi, Mr. Kamal Kishore Soan, and was a highly successful venture with a turnout of around 500 people right on the first day. Many walked in seeking details and to familiarise themselves with the process of composing and filing RTI applications. The Legal Aid Society members explained the format of an RTI petition and even helped those who had brought their relevant documents to compose their RTI petitions on spot. The District Administration had appointed an Assistant Public Information Officer (APIO) to receive the applications of the RTIs drafted at the camp.

The endeavour received a hearty welcome from the media fraternity which covered the event extensively in national and local newspapers as well as in television channels. This helped spread the word wide and articles in The Telegraph, the Prabhaath Kabar and the Jharkhand Jaagran brought in more people, rendering the camp fruitful to the society at large.

From the 10th – 12th October, 2009, there was also a seminar jointly conducted by the Media Information and Communication Centre of India, the Friedrich Ebert Shiftung, the Jharkhand RTI Forum and the NUJS Legal Aid Society on important topics related to RTI.

The Legal Aid Society has also involved itself in a number of other social issues this semester such as a Clothes and Fund Collection drive for Relief to the AILA survivors and a Survey and Situation Analysis of the Rag Pickers in Kolkata etc. They had also conducted a Legal Drafting Workshop in college and brought out their flagship newsletter "Access to Justice." Here's hoping their list of activities keep on growing!

Noojies' contribution to action against climate change

October 24^th, the International Day for Climate Action, saw NUJS in a different mood altogether. Noojies made their own special contribution towards furthering the cause in the event organised by four NUJS societies - LCAS, Nature Committee, Society for Protection and Promotion of Environment (SPPE), Legal Aid Society and 350.org(which is an international grassroots campaign for mobilizing a global climate movement.)A host of activities were undertaken by the students. The morning ‘350’ formation in the quad, street art at Park Street, and specially, face painting at City Centre surely got the public interested. The amazing painting done by 1^st and 2^nd year girls attracted a lot of people at City Centre and a 'rally' later, the small but enthusiastic bunch of students ended up making it a worthwhile effort!