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The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), in a significant step toward safeguarding the legal rights of India’s uniformed forces, launched the Veer Parivar Sahayata Yojana during the North Zone Regional Conference in Srinagar. Themed “Reaffirming the Constitutional Vision of Justice for Defence Personnel and Tribals,” the event spotlighted the urgent need to institutionalize accessible legal assistance for military personnel and their families.

Rationale and Objectives

• Defence and paramilitary personnel frequently serve in remote, conflict-prone, or high-risk environments, which limits their ability to attend to civilian legal matters. Be it land disputes, family conflicts, service-related claims, or bureaucratic issues, legal hurdles can deeply affect their lives. The scheme acknowledges that a soldier stationed on the border cannot readily leave his post to handle legal proceedings back home.
• The Veer Parivar Sahayata Yojana is designed to bridge this critical gap by providing free, competent, and timely legal aid to serving personnel, veterans, and their families.

Key Features of the Scheme

• Joint Collaboration: The initiative is a joint effort between NALSA, the Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB), Rajya Sainik Boards (RSBs), and Zilla Sainik Boards (ZSBs) under the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Ministry of Defence.
• Legal Clinics Across Sainik Boards: Legal Services Clinics will be established at the district, state, and central levels of the Sainik Boards across India. These will function as the first point of contact for defence families seeking legal assistance.
• Trained Legal Volunteers: The initiative actively involves panel lawyers and trained paralegal volunteers, including ex-servicemen and defence family members, to offer legal services and counselling.
• Back-end Legal Infrastructure: A robust administrative mechanism will support the on-ground functioning of clinics and ensure prompt resolution of legal grievances.
• Coverage for Paramilitary Forces: The scheme will also extend support to paramilitary personnel from forces such as BSF, CRPF, ITBP, and others, who operate under similar hardships and isolation.

Significance and Constitutional Context

• The scheme upholds Article 39A of the Constitution, which mandates equal justice and free legal aid for all citizens. Defence personnel, who make immense sacrifices for national security, often remain underserved when it comes to civilian entitlements, rights, and dispute resolution.
• By reaffirming the constitutional commitment to access to justice, the scheme aligns with the broader goal of legal empowerment of vulnerable and marginalized communities, including those in service of the nation.