Legal awareness as a catalyst for social reform
The lecture, titled 'A Path Illuminated by Justice: Legal Awareness for Social Change', focused on the practical application of legal literacy in tackling child marriage, domestic violence, and workplace harassment.
Mr. Sudheendra called for mandatory internal committees in organisations to address sexual harassment and encouraged voluntary groups to facilitate access to free legal aid. He underscored legal literacy as essential for protecting fundamental rights and ensuring juvenile justice.
Sangappa Vaggara, assistant professor, Department of Social Work, said that legal awareness is necessary for understanding and engaging with the justice system, not only for professionals but also for the general public.
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Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Indian Express
Karnataka Assembly passes Bill to rename Bengaluru City University after Manmohan Singh
The Karnataka Legislative Assembly Tuesday passed a Bill to rename Bengaluru City University after former prime minister Manmohan Singh. The Karnataka State Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2025, substitutes the name of the university in the Karnataka State Universities Act, 2000, with 'Dr Manmohan Singh Bengaluru City University.' The statement of objects and reasons attached to the Bill notes that the renaming seeks to 'esteem the reputation of Dr. Manmohan Singh, distinguished economist, academician, bureaucrat and statesman who spearheaded economic reforms in the nation and served as Prime Minister of India for two successive terms.' Despite Opposition protests, the Congress Government pushed the Bill through, with Higher Education Minister Dr M C Sudhakar maintaining that renaming Bengaluru City University after Singh was an honour that reflected his immense contribution to the country's economic and political life. While the ruling Congress hailed the move as a fitting tribute to Singh's contributions to the nation, the Opposition BJP questioned the government's approach. Leader of Opposition R Ashoka argued that instead of renaming an existing institution, the government should establish a new university in Singh's name. 'Naming an existing university after Dr Manmohan Singh does not do justice to his stature. A new university would have been a more meaningful tribute,' Ashoka said. BJP MLA Suresh Gowda also criticised the decision, saying the government had overlooked other leaders who deserved recognition. He suggested that Tumkur University could have been named after Shivakumar Swamiji, revered as 'Nadedaduva Devaru' (walking God) by his followers.
Hindustan Times
04-08-2025
- Hindustan Times
Mind the Gap: How a law to protect children was weaponized against consensual teen sex
The big story It's a story playing on loop from Guwahati to Allahabad, Delhi to Meghalaya. The plot line is more or less the same: Teenagers in love. He's 18, 19, or maybe 20. She's 17 or 16. Everything is going smoothly until her parents find out. Perhaps she gets pregnant. Perhaps someone sees them together. Perhaps she's run off with him. But all hell breaks loose. Maybe he's of a different religion or caste, or maybe they're just angry at the daughter's exercise of choice. A still from Rima Das's Bulbul Can Sing, a coming-of-age movie that explores adolescence, emotional growth and sexual stirrings. (TIFF) They file a complaint of rape. In 2014, when his 17-year-old daughter ran off with the 19-year-old man she loved, her father filed a missing person's complaint with the police. The police tracked her down to Ghaziabad where she told them she had married her boyfriend in a temple. No matter. He was charged with rape and sentenced to seven years in prison by a trial court. He appealed. Eleven years later, in February this year, Justice Jasmeet Singh of the Delhi high court finally acquitted him. The punishment handed out to him was a 'perversity of justice', the judge ruled. 'It was a case of adolescent love and the physical relations were established consensually.' By law, the age of consent is 18. In other words, sex with a girl who is less than 18 years of age, even if consensual, amounts to statutory rape. The government's own data, the National Family Health Survey-5 found that 39% of girls had sex for the first time before turning 18. This of course would include girls married off by their parents before the legal age. The survey doesn't tell us of marital status, but it shows a large proportion of sexually active girls below the age of 18. For 80 years, the age of consent was 16. Then in 2012, it was raised, without explanation or rationale, to 18 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). And it is this increase of age that is increasingly being used by parents to punish the consensual sexual relationships of their daughters in a country where sex, particularly pre-marital sex, is taboo. 'An increase in the age of consent violates the right to autonomy of children between the ages of 16 and 18 who have the ability to give mature consent to sexual activity,' argued senior advocate Indira Jaising who appeared last week as amicus curie: 'To criminalize such an activity rather than addressing the issue of sex education, is arbitrary, unconstitutional and against the best interests of children as defined in law.' Hard facts Not a crime. (Unsplash) The evidence on how romantic relationships between teenagers are being criminalized is chilling: One in five boys and men charged with rape under POCSO are in romantic, consensual relationships. In one study, it's one in four. A five-state study by the Centre for Child and the Law at the National Law School of India University that looked at 2,788 POCSO cases found that romantic, consensual cases made up 21.2% of cases in Andhra Pradesh, 15.6% in Assam, 21.5% in Delhi, 21.8% in Karnataka, and 20.5% in Maharashtra. Another study by Enfold Proactive Health Trust looked at 7,064 judgements between 2016 and 2020 by POCSO courts in Assam, Maharashtra and West Bengal to find 1,715, or 24.3%, were romantic cases. In nearly half, 46.5%, of these cases, the girl was married to the accused. The complainants in over 80% of these cases are parents and relatives. Only in 18.3% of cases was the complaint lodged by the girl on grounds of breach of promise to marry. Acquittal rates are, fortunately, high. When judges hear from girls in romantic relationships, 93.8% of cases end in acquittals, found the Enfold study. But the time taken from the filing of the police complaint to judgment by the courts can take up to three years leaving young couples, many of them already married, some with children, on tenterhooks. Looking for solutions The Supreme Court. (Vipin Kumar/Hindustan Times) The courts are increasingly voicing their concern about consensual teenage sex being criminalized. In 2019, the Madras high court noted that sexual relations among what's known as 'mature minors' was not unnatural and recommended a revision of the age of consent. The Allahabad high court echoed that view in October 2023 when it stressed that the fact of a consensual relationship borne out of love should be of consideration while granting bail. In February 2024, the Karnataka high court quashed the criminal prosecution of a 20-year-old man who had married a 16-year-old girl and even had a child with her. But court verdicts can go the other way. 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The Hindu
28-07-2025
- The Hindu
Activists demand Devadasi survey without condition of age limit
As preparations are under way for the third survey of Devadasis in Karnataka, the community members have urged the State government to conduct the door-to door survey without fixing any age limit to identify the Devadasis — now concentrated mostly in 15 northern districts. The Bengaluru-based National Law School of India University (NLSIU), which is spearheading efforts to bring a new legislation for Devadasis, has also petitioned Chief Minister Siddaramaiah against any age limit. While the fresh survey — a long-pending demand of the community — had been announced in the 2024-2025 Budget, the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) recently directed the government to complete the survey and come out with recommendations before this October. It is learnt that the survey is being planned to be conducted through the offices of taluk-level child development officers, where Devadasis are expected to go and provide their details. While circulars so far have been silent on the age, community members have been pointing to past surveys which were conducted similarly from offices and had kept out women below 45 years. Banned in 1982 The centuries-old practice of dedication of women to temples as Devadasis has been banned in the State since 1982 when the Karnataka Devadasis (Prohibition of Dedication) Act was enacted. Subsequently, the government conducted surveys in 1993-1994 and 2007-2008, when 22,873 and 46,660 Devadasis, respectively, were identified. However, Yamunurappa, coordinator of Vimuktha Devadasi Mahila Mathu Makkala Vedike, claimed that a similar number of Devadasis have remained outside the list owing to several issues. 'I did not even know of a survey being conducted. I have a Devadasi certificate, but I am not on the list. I do not get any pension,' 74-year-old Honnamma from Harikere in Harappanahalli of Vijayanagara district said, pointing to a lack of awareness. Being on the list becomes important for receiving rehabilitation benefits including ₹2,000 monthly pension. The demand for house-to-house survey by the team, which should include former Devadasis, has come in the light of allegations that many non-Devadasis were getting included in the current list and receiving benefits. Stigma, lack of awareness 'Earlier, stigma prevented many from coming out in the open and many were threatened by officials of possible legal trouble if they declared themselves to be Devadasis because it had been banned in 1982. Despite the ban, the tradition continued across many big temples during annual fairs in North Karnataka,' said Manjula Malige, daughter of a Devadasi and now associated with Hosapete-based Sakhi Trust. 'The biggest hindrance in the previous two surveys has been the age limit of 45 and above to qualify to register. Women in North Karnataka also migrate for livelihood. There was a lack of awareness about the survey.' According to R.V. Chandrashekar, researcher in NLSIU, the government orders in the previous surveys remained silent on the age limit, but they crept in during subsequent circulars. 'We want the survey to be comprehensive following which a one-time rehabilitation is possible.'
