The government of India has taken a variety of steps to popularise the understanding of the Constitution and to increase the awareness about the legal rights. Through the Department of Justice as the nodal department, it has launched the Citizens’ Duties Awareness Programme (CDAP) on November 26, 2019.

This information was given by the minister of state (independent charge) of the ministry of law and justice; Arjun Ram Meghwal, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

With an aim to enhance awareness of the Constitution with a focus on Fundamental Duties, CDAP was able to reach over 48.6 crore citizens through effective implementation of various programmes by all departments and ministries of the Government of India, States/UTs, Judiciary, NSS/NYK Volunteers. The program utilized tools such as online Preamble reading (21.86 lakh), online Pledge taking (1.90 lakh), Webinars (10,600), messaging through E-tickets (14.5 Cr), and social media (10.95 Cr). Over 86 ministries/departments engaged in the year-long CDAP activities.

Additionally, 31 lakh elected Gram Panchayat representatives and 14,500 Special Gram Sabhas promoted the concept of Fundamental Duties among citizen. The DoJ launched a grassroots campaign in 1000 digital villages through the CSC network, covering 310 districts across 16 states. This effort included 2409 awareness sessions, reaching over 4,84,000 villagers, 9000 wall paintings, and signature banners displayed on fundamental duties in all digital villages.

During the current year, the Department of Justice has initiated a pan-India, year-long nationwide campaign titled ‘Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Samman’ to celebrate the 75th year of India as a Republic and the adoption of India’s Constitution. The campaign was launched on January 24, 2024, by the Vice-President of India. Regional events were organised in Bikaner, Rajasthan, on March 9, and in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on July 16, to ensure decentralised outreach of the campaign. The campaign aims to reaffirm our collective commitment to the principles enshrined in the Constitution of India and to celebrate the shared values that bind our nation.

This nationwide initiative provides opportunities for every citizen to participate in various ways, empowering them to contribute meaningfully through its sub-campaigns: Sabko Nyaya Har Ghar Nyaya, Nav Bharat Nav Sankalp, and Vidhi Jagriti Abhiyaan.

Through the network of Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) of the Common Service Centres (CSCs), over 2.5 lakh gram panchayats have been engaged in reading the Panch Pran Pledge in regional languages. In 25 states and Union Territories, citizen-centric service fairs called “Nyaya Sewa Melas” have been organized. Online competitions such as the Samvidhan Quiz, Panch Pran Rangotsav (poster-making), and Panch Pran Anubhav (reel-making) were launched on the MyGov platform. To enhance constitutional education, the campaign has involved law students and partnered with agencies like Doordarshan and IGNOU’s Gyan Vani and Gyan Darshan platforms.As of June 30, 2024, 1.60 lakh citizens have participated in the ‘Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Samman’ campaign nationwide. Information to popularize the understanding of the Constitution as part of this campaign is regularly updated on the Department of Justice website (https://doj.gov.in/).

The Department of Justice (DoJ) is also implementing a dedicated program for legal literacy and legal awareness under the scheme of the "Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice" (DISHA), introduced in 2021. As of June 30, 2024, the legal awareness has reached15.30 lakh individuals through community engagement, webinars, and the dissemination of educational materials on the Constitution, legal rights, and duties.

The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), through its Legal Services Authorities at the state, district, and taluk levels, conducts legal literacy and awareness programs and campaigns to educate the general public about their rights, benefits, and privileges guaranteed by the Constitution and other enactments. NALSA through the Legal Services Authorities has undertaken the following steps to popularize the understanding of the Constitution and to increase the awareness about the legal rights:

(i)         A six-week-long Pan India Legal Awareness and Outreach Campaign was organized from October 2 to November 14, 2021, as part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’. Conducted in four phases, the campaign reached 6.7 lakh villages and 4100 municipal towns across the country to raise awareness about the availability of free legal services. Additionally, 1623 Legal Services Mega Camps (NALSA Module) were held in 735 districts, benefiting 75,64,236 people.

(ii)   A nationwide legal awareness and outreach program titled “Empowerment of Citizens through Legal Awareness and Outreach” was conducted from October 31 to November 13, 2022. The campaign aimed to bridge the gap between institutions and the underprivileged by spreading legal awareness and ensuring the delivery of legal entitlements to eligible beneficiaries. It was organized across all villages and sub-divisions of every district in India. Concurrently, the “Haq_humara_bhi_to_hai@75” campaign was launched, focusing on providing basic legal assistance to individuals confined in prisons and child care institutions.

Further, the Legal Services Authorities have conducted a range of legal awareness programs covering various laws and schemes related to children, laborers, disaster victims, SC/ST communities, and persons with disabilities. Additionally, they have created and distributed booklets and pamphlets in accessible language to inform the public about these laws.

To effectively reach vulnerable sections of society, NALSA has developed and implemented a Module for Legal Services Camps through Legal Services Institutions. This approach marks a shift from traditional methods of general legal awareness to a model focused on true empowerment, grounded in need-based analysis and targeted action.

The Legal Empowerment Camps are designed to serve not only the weak and marginalized sections but also those residing in remote and far-flung areas, aiming to bridge information gaps and ensure access to citizens’ rightful entitlements. Since the framework's approval in December 2017, these camps have been organized nationwide with a three-fold objective: firstly, to spread awareness about various welfare legislations and schemes; secondly, to identify and reach out to individuals who need legal assistance; and lastly, to provide tailored solutions to legal issues.

In 2023-2024 alone, 30,043 legal awareness camps were organized, benefiting 11.46 lakh citizens. To further enhance and educate citizens on existing awareness programs, campaigns, and other legal aid avenues, NALSA leverages mass media platforms and Legal Services Institutions.