India Impact Report 2024 : simplebooklet.com

Message from our CEO and India Program DirectorThe boy on the cover of this report isnamed Rohit. In one fleeting photo ofhim running through the basti he callshome, you may not see the struggles thathe faces. But his life has burdens that noboy his age should have to shoulder.Rohit isn’t alone – we work with childrenlike him every day. Children living inbastis at the brink of eviction, their dailylives filled with uncertainty. Childrenwho, perhaps as a response to thesedifficult circumstances, find themselvesin conflict with the law. Children whoface sexual abuse or are trafficked orforced into child labour. Children whostruggle with visible or invisibledisabilities, or are caregivers to parentswith disabilities, or caregivers to theiryounger siblings because their parentsare incarcerated. Children whom oursociety has decided do not matterenough to protect.As an organisation whose primary focuswas child rights, we are often asked whywe expanded our focus areas to the pointwhere, today, we also work on housingand land rights, criminal justice, anddisability justice. It is because we saw theintersectional vulnerabilities of thecommunities we serve, and expanded ourwork as a natural response.Sonu, for instance, lived on the streets ofDelhi, where she was assaulted late onenight. Arjun was accused of killing theboy who sexually harassed his sister.Sunita’s education suffered after herfamily faced eviction from their home.Raghav’s parents needed guidance onhow to secure his property rights aftertheir death, as he has autism. In each of these cases, we saw thecomplexity of the support that wasrequired, the need to untangle a web ofvulnerabilities to identify how to proceed.And we responded by trying to providewhat support we could – engaging with thejustice system in different ways.This intersectional engagement seeks tocreate a more resilient society - one wherethose who most need support are able toaccess it, where the justice system serveseveryone, where stakeholders arechallenged and asked to improve. To thisend, we assisted close to 2000 people withquality representation in six states this year.Our comprehensive care work supported304 children. And finally, by mobilisingstrategic litigation, we unlocked legalprotections for over 3500 people. On this journey, we are deeply grateful forthe invaluable support of our partners.Collaboration remains at the heart ofachieving our shared goals, and this year ismarked by several impactful partnerships –with NGOs, lawyers, governmentstakeholders, universities, and many others. Above all, we continue to prioritiselistening to those we aim to support, lettingtheir voices shape and guide our efforts.Whether through consultations, legal aidcamps, roundtable conversations or one-to-one interactions, we deeply value thestories and perspectives shared with us.Every step forward is fuelled by thesestories of resilience and courage. We inviteyou to join us in building a world whereRohit, Sonu, Arjun, Raghav, Sunita, and somany others like them, have the chance tothrive. Mariam FaruqiCEO, iProbono andDirector, Justice LeilaSeth Fellowship3Deeksha GujralProgram Director,iProbono India

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LEGAL ACTION iProbono India provides legalrepresentation and advice to childrensuffering egregious injustices. Our clientsinclude child victims of sexual abuse,minors seeking termination of unwantedpregnancies, and children who findthemselves in conflict with the law. Wealso support people facing illegal evictionfrom their homes. In line with ourstrategy to intervene in situations wherelegal aid is urgent but scarce, we took thedecision to extend our support to personswith disabilities and those facing thecriminal justice system. Challenging injustices againstundertrial juveniles At the age of 17, Neha was wrongfullydetained in Dasna jail after the policemisrepresented her age as 19. For six longyears, she endured illegal incarceration as herstate-appointed legal counsel failed toprovide the most basic legal support,depriving her of the chance to assert herjuvenility. Under the Juvenile Justice Act2015, she would have been entitled to amaximum of three years of detention if foundguilty. Neha’s case was referred to us in late 2023 bythe India Vision Foundation, an NGOdedicated to rehabilitating prisoners. Ourteam initiated an age verification process tohave her case heard before the JuvenileJustice Board (JJB), relying on Neha’s age-proof documents, which had previously beenoverlooked by the court. Although the JJBfinally recognised that Neha was a juvenile atthe time of the offence, she was not relocatedto a ‘place of safety’, a facility for childrenaccused of committing heinous offences, andwas left in prison. Our team managed tosecure bail, ending Neha’s six-yearincarceration. Significantly, this interventionshould not have been required - Neha waseligible for unconditional release as herdetention had already exceeded themaximum sentence for a juvenile committinga serious offence. Additionally, the monetaryconditions and surety requirements imposedby the JJB that further prolonged her periodof incarceration underscore the barriers facedby vulnerable individuals in accessing justice.To address this, iProbono India filed apetition in the Allahabad High Court onNeha’s behalf, seeking financialcompensation for her unlawful incarceration.Our in-house psychologist continues toprovide Neha with mental health care toaddress her trauma and support herreintegration into society.4A Snapshot Of Our Programs

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Rehabilitating children inconflict with the law Unlike the criminal justice system, thejuvenile justice system focuses onrehabilitation. It is underpinned by the beliefthat children are not meant to be punishedfor their crimes, but reintegrated into societyin a manner that prevents recidivism.Unfortunately, neither the child rightssystem nor the wider legal ecosystemsufficiently focuses on this aspect. In 2022, 17-year old Karthik was accused ofmurder and housed in a place of safety formore than two years. Despite his challengingcircumstances, he completed his high schooleducation through open schooling. Karthikalso wanted to pursue higher studies in thehope of building a brighter future. However,observation homes and places of safety oftenlack resources to support the educationalaspirations of their residents, and Karthik'sgoals were seemingly out of reach.Our team filed a special application beforethe Children’s Court to allow Karthik topursue his Bachelor's degree. The Courtgranted our request and directed theSuperintendent of a Child Care Institution(CCI) to facilitate Karthik’s travel to college.This intervention not only opened the doorto higher education for Kartik, but upheldthe principle that children in conflict withthe law be given a fair chance to reform andreintegrate into society. Enforcing abortion rights ofminorsOur team actively supports minorsseeking the termination of pregnanciesthat have surpassed the 24-week legallimit for abortion in India. In such cases,we routinely file petitions before courts toensure these children can access themedical care they urgently need. In collaboration with our partnerorganisation, Enfold Proactive HealthTrust, we secured favourable court ordersas well as sizeable financial compensationfor all seven children whom werepresented in cases seeking medicaltermination of pregnancies in Bengaluruin 2024. Securing justice for childsurvivors of abuseKatha was four years old when herneighbour sexually assaulted her. She hadto undergo two major surgeries in under ayear. Given her young age, Kathastruggled to properly communicate theabuse in her testimony. Our paneladvocate Nitin Saluja convinced the courtto trust Katha’s recollection of theincident and accept her testimony. Notonly was the accused sentenced toimprisonment of over 12 years, Katha wasalso granted a sizeable final compensationamount of Rs. 12.5 lakhs to support herrehabilitation. Supporting children ofincarcerated parentsTejashwari, a 40-year-old woman, facedmurder charges for allegedly killing herhusband. She spent over a year in prison.During this time, she struggled withtuberculosis, as did her two youngchildren who continued to live at homewithout her, with no support from thesystem. By securing bail for Tejashwari,our team was able to reunite her with herchildren. This intervention represents ourintersectional approach to the criminaljustice system, centering the needs ofchildren impacted by legal processes. 5

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Empowering persons withdisabilitiesiProbono India supports persons withdisabilities and their guardians bypursuing interventions that ensure justiceand access to equitable rights.As an aspiring medical student, Anmolfaced a number of challenges in hispursuit of a medical degree. With multipledisabilities including the loss of twofingers in both hands and speechdifficulties, he was declared ineligible foradmission to any medical college by theDisability Assessment Board (DAB) in2023. Anmol’s appeal against this decisionbefore the Rajasthan High Court wasdismissed. A year later, he was once againdeclared ineligible by the DAB, and hisappeal was similarly dismissed by thePunjab and Haryana High Court. Our team and panel advocates Atif Inamand Rishit Vimadalal moved the SupremeCourt to address this discrimination. Inresponse, the Court directed the All IndiaInstitute for Medical Sciences (AIIMS) tocreate an expert committee that wouldassess whether Anmol’s disabilities wouldhinder his studies. The Courtrecommended that Dr Satendra Singh, arenowned disability rights activist, jointhe committee. Although the committeefound that Anmol was ineligible foradmission into a medical college underthe National Medical Commission’sguidelines, Dr Singh put forward anopposing view stating that Anmol wasfully capable of completing his MBBSdegree and practicing as a doctor. Basedon Dr Singh’s opinion, the Supreme Courtissued an order calling for the creation ofa special seat for Anmol at a medicalcollege close to his residence. Anmol isnow pursuing his dream of becoming adoctor. iProbono India also seeks to enforce the legalprotections offered by the Rights of Personswith Disabilities (RPwD) Act before the ChiefCommissioner and State Commissioners forPersons with Disabilities.When Mansi, a visually impaired candidate,was refused a scribe during the Odisha CivilServices exams, we empowered her to file acomplaint before the Odisha StateCommissioner for Persons with Disabilities.We also advocated for the Commissioner toassign her an appropriately qualified scribe ofher choice, which resulted in Mansisuccessfully clearing her exams. 6उनके वकल ने बत सहयोग और सहायतादान क। उनके सहयोग से हमने के स जीता औरमुझे गवनमट मेडकल कॉलेज, सरोही म दाखलामला। धयवाद आईोबोनो इंडया।”Their lawyers were cooperative andsupportive. They helped me, and withtheir help we won the case and I gotadmission at the Government MedicalCollege, Sirohi. Thanks iProbono India.- AnmolMy work on disability justice and inclusiveequality was amplified through iProbonoIndia’s efforts and landmark court orders—whether supporting the admission ofdisabled learners in medical and nursingfields, advocating for disability-inclusivepolicing, or enriching disabilityjurisprudence with justice-driven action.” - Dr Satendra Singh, Founder, Doctorswith Disabilities: Agents of Change,and Advisor to iProbono India

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REHABILITATION ANDRESILIENCE As advocates of a holistic justice model,iProbono India complements legalaction with vital psychosocial supportand solidarity for children navigatingintimidating legal procedures. Whencases of child sexual abuse are reported,the relevant Child Welfare Committee(CWC) assigns a support person to thechild victim. In 2024, iProbono Indiaprovided psychosocial support to 304children in this capacity. We empowerour clients by ensuring that their voicesguide our interventions.where Mona revealed that she was forced todo all the housework and provide childcare,was not allowed to go to school, and wasregularly beaten. Mona once again made itclear that she wanted to return to the CCI,where she had felt safe.Our team’s intervention in highlightingMona’s continued abuse ensured her safereturn to the CCI. She is currently doing wellat school, receives regular counselling, andenjoys expressing herself through art. Monahas also requested iProbono India to helptransfer her younger sister to the same CCI. Ansh and ParamAnsh and Param grew up in a CCI after theirmother passed away and their father, Sanjay,was unable to take care of them. In 2017, whilevisiting home, Param was sexually abused byhis inebriated father. Sanjay was arrested andlegal proceedings began. While in judicialcustody, he requested several times to beallowed to see his sons. The court rejected hispleas to prevent Sanjay from influencingParam’s testimony. In 2024, he was convicted.Param communicated to the court that he andhis brother wanted to see their father.At this critical juncture, the CWC appointediProbono India as the support person for Anshand Param. While there are establishedprotocols to enable meetings between childrenand their incarcerated parents, no suchguidelines exist for situations where theparent is also the perpetrator. To navigate this complex situation, iProbonoIndia coordinated with multiple stakeholders,including prison officials, the CCI, and theCWC, to create a safe and supportiveenvironment for the meeting. When Ansh andParam entered the room and saw their father,the moment was charged with emotion. Our approach balanced Ansh and Param’semotional needs with adherence to prisonprotocols around interactions with convicts.This intervention underscores the importancefor stakeholders to centre the unique needsand desires of children and adopt anempathetic and flexible approach.7 MonaMona, an 11 year-old child, sufferedphysical and emotional abuse by herfamily and was transferred to a CCI bythe CWC. However, the CWC sent herback home soon after, believing it to bein her best interest. As her supportperson, iProbono India cautionedagainst this move. During a home visit, our team notedsigns of abuse and neglect. When asked,Mona broke down and said that shewanted to go back to the CCI. Wefacilitated an interaction with the CWC,

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SayliIn 2022, 16 year-old Sayli was sexuallyassaulted and then forced to ingest anacidic substance, leaving her permanentlyunable to swallow any food. Over the nexttwo years, she underwent three majorsurgeries. Up until this point, Sayli hadshouldered the full responsibility of hermedical and legal needs. In 2024,iProbono India was asked to step in tooffer comprehensive support.Our team accompanied Sayli to thehospital and liaised with the medical staffregarding her future treatment. WhileSayli had previously received financialrelief under an existing victimcompensation scheme for acid attacksurvivors, this amount was not enough forher to support herself. Since she wasunable to pay for medical supplies andother essential provisions like a feedingtube, iProbono India covered theseexpenses while also seeking additionalcompensation from the court. Our team supported her legal casealongside our panel lawyer SowjhanyaShankaran. As a direct result of this case,the court created a new 10 crore fund, theAvlamban Fund Scheme 2024, to supportacid attack survivors in Delhi. Thisscheme paves the way for a life of dignityfor survivors like Sayli, who can nowaccess compensation above what wasalready available to them under the DelhiVictim Compensation Scheme, 2018.Importantly, the Avlamban Fund Schemeis intended to support all acid attacksurvivors, regardless of the exact nature oftheir injury. This is unlike the formerAasra scheme, which was available only toacid attack survivors with external burninjuries.Sayli can now afford nutritionalsupplements, has resumed openschooling, and is using art as an emotionaloutlet. We continue to represent her incourt and support her rehabilitation.Artwork shared with our team by Sayli soonafter receiving medical and legal support8

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I was referred this brutal and heartbreaking case by the High Court as an amicuscuriae. Syali was like no other child victim I had met. She was resilient anddetermined to bring her perpetrators to justice but she lacked both the financialmeans and the counselling support that a case of this magnitude requires. Inaddition to legal representation, Sayli required high quality psychosocial careand a team that would be able to guide her through every step of theprocess. I had no doubt that the iProbono India team with its vast experience inpursuing such cases would be the only organisation that could achieve this forSayli. They went above and beyond, not only addressing her medical and financialneeds but also in providing crucial emotional support and advocating for Sayli tocomplete her school education and be provided state sponsored vocationaltraining.This support meant that Sayli could focus on healing and rebuilding her life whileI could devote my full attention to navigating the complexities of her legal case. Ireceived ample and timely support from the iProbono India legal team. They wereable to provide in-depth legal research and support during oral arguments inCourt. They were instrumental in helping me draft and fine-tune variousaspects of the guidelines that we drafted for the Court, which culminatedin the Avlamban Fund Scheme, 2024.Their legal team has also taken over Sayli’s case at the trial court and hasbeen fervently working across the board on all aspects of her case — from gettingadditional criminal charges framed against her perpetrators to ensuring that shereceives enhanced compensation as provided by Indian law. Working with the iProbono India team showed me the profound impact of aholistic approach to justice. I am deeply grateful for their partnership.”- Sowjhanya Shankaran, iProbono India panel advocate9 Momina, Chetna, Anam,Anjum Siblings Momina, Chetna and Anam weresexually abused by their paternal uncle.Their father and grandmother, who weretheir caregivers after their mother hadpassed away, did not support them. Soonafter the abuse was reported, the girlswere sent to a CCI. During the trial, theirfather attempted to influence Anam. In adisturbing incident, he tried to physicallydrag her away from our social worker inthe court premises, but our teamintervened swiftly and safely escorted heroutside. A week later, he appeared before theCWC alongside the defence counseldemanding custody over the girls, presumably to influence their upcomingtestimonies. Shortly after, the defencecounsel moved an application before thecourt alleging that the CWC had abductedthe girls. In response, we prepared adetailed case brief, convincing the judge topass an order that prevented the girls frombeing restored to their family. Our effortsprompted Anjum, the eldest sibling, toreport the sexual abuse that she alsosuffered but had been too fearful to reveal.Our team supported her with filing a FirstInformation Report (FIR) despite hostilityfrom the investigating officer. We alsoaccompanied her while providing medicalevidence and made sure she receivedcounselling to cope with the trauma ofprolonged abuse. Today, all four sisters nolonger fear for their safety and have foundstrength and healing together.

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POLICY AND LEGAL REFORMWe advocate for the communities we servethrough evidence-based advocacy,catalysing lasting change in the justiceecosystem. Protecting children fromincarcerationAccording to the Juvenile Justice (Care andProtection of Children) Act, 2015, a child inconflict with the law is to be placed in anobservation home, a place of safety, or aspecial home. Under no circumstances arethey meant to be held in a police lockup orjail. An empirical research studyundertaken by iProbono India exposed anentirely different reality; one where thesesafeguards are routinely violated. Using theRight to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, weconducted a study which revealed that9,681 children had been unlawfullydetained in adult prisons over a five yearperiod from 2016 to 2021. Our report alsomakes several recommendations to addressthis issue, such as demanding the state paycompensation where there have been breachesin law, and establishing more observationhomes and places of safety across the country. Neha, whose story is described above,addressed the gathering.10Incarceration of Children in Prisons: A National RTI Study Launch, Delhi, 11 May 2024Left to Right: Sunil Gupta, Former Legal Advisor Delhi Jails; Arul Varma, Secretary, Delhi High CourtLegal Services Committee; Amod K. Kanth, Founder Secretary, Prayas Juvenile Aid Centre, Societyand Former DGP; Anant Kumar Asthana, Advisor to Delhi State Legal Services Authority; Deeksha Gujral, Program Director, iProbono India; and Justice Ravindra Bhat, former Supreme CourtJudge and former Chairperson of the Supreme Court Juvenile Justice Committeeइन छह साल म मने कभी नह सोचा था क मकभी बाहरी नया देख पाऊं गा। मने सारीआशा खो द; ऐसा महसूस आ क यह मुझेमरना था, क और कु छ नह था, यही अंत था।छह साल बीत गए, मेरा बचपन चला गया।फर आईोबोनो इंडया टम आई और मेरीमदद क।”In these six years, I never thought Iwould ever see the outside world. I lostall hope; it felt like this was where Iwas meant to die, that there wasnothing else, this was the end. Sixyears passed, my childhood was gone.Then the iProbono India team cameand helped me.

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It is the state’s responsibility toensure that children are not sent tojail. If a child is wrongfullyincarcerated there has to bemonetary accountability. Thegovernment needs to paycompensation as penalty anddamages. So in that sense, pressingfor this kind of accountability bypresenting this information gatheredthrough the powerful use of the RTI,is really pioneering. I commendiProbono India for its efforts.” - Justice Ravindra Bhat, formerSupreme Court judge and formerchairperson of the Supreme CourtJuvenile Justice Committee Catalysing improvements inMaharashtra’s victimcompensation schemeThe Manodhairya Scheme, 2017 aims toprovide financial relief to victims of rape,child sexual abuse and acid attacks inMaharashtra. The scheme’s implementationis hindered by a number of factors includingpoor awareness among the police regardingcorrect procedure to process victimcompensation applications, delays indisbursement of compensation by theDistrict Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs),and the absence of bank accounts forvictims to receive compensation. iProbonoIndia led a consultation with select civilsociety representatives, including those whohad been directly involved in the creation ofthe Manodhairya Scheme guidelines, tostrategise a more victim-centric framework.We also initiated action to present thiscoalition’s concerns to the Department ofWomen and Child Development (DWCD),Government of Maharashtra. 11Gitanjali Prasad, former iProbono Indiateam member and advisor, authored thisreport in a voluntary capacity, alongsideKrishna Sharma, former Justice Leila SethFellow, and Yamina Rizvi, iProbono India,as assistant researchers and authors

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Facilitating resettlement of basti residentsiProbono India has consistently beenadvocating for the rehabilitation ofresidents from two bastis in Delhi—EastKidwai Nagar and Rajiv Camp—at risk ofeviction. Due to a number of reasonsincluding COVID-19, conflicts betweenthe central and state governments, andgeneral state apathy towards the plight ofthese communities, these flats were neverhanded over to the residents even thoughthey had already paid the requiredfinancial deposits to secure ownership. In response, iProbono India took legalaction, urging the Delhi Urban ShelterImprovement Board (DUSIB) to fulfill itscommitment and provide appropriatehousing to the affected residents. After aseries of court cases, our effortsculminated in a victory in September2023, when the Delhi High Court directedthat a High-Powered Committee beestablished to streamline and expedite thehandover process. 12East Kidwai Nagar settlements, South West Delhi, floods every monsoon, creatinginhumane living conditions for its residentsOver the past year, we continued toengage with the High PoweredCommittee, sending letters and makingsubmissions in multiple meetings, toensure that the flats were swiftly handedover to our clients. As a result, theCommittee directed DUSIB to begin therehabilitation of residents from 10 bastis,including 1440 of our clients from EastKidwai Nagar and Rajiv Camp. In a critical development, it wasdetermined that since the accommodationoriginally designated for resettlement wasuninhabitable, residents would have to berehabilitated in a new locality, SavdaGhevra. In late 2024, the court directed theDelhi government, Delhi Jal Board, DUSIBand other agencies to immediatelyoperationalise the sewerage, water andelectricity connections in Savda Ghevra.This victory represents a major milestonein our ongoing efforts to secure housingrights for marginalised communities andensure that promises made by the state aredelivered.

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Enabling a culture ofinclusive policingThere are over 26.8 million people livingin India with disabilities and yet access tojustice remains a pressing challenge forthis community. Interactions with ourclients illuminated how persons withdisabilities face various kinds ofdiscrimination within the criminal justicesystem, especially in their encounterswith the police. To spotlight the systemicreforms required to make policingpractices more inclusive, iProbono Indiaconvened a first of its kind national-levelstakeholder consultation, titled ‘InclusivePolicing for Persons with Disabilities’.This consultation spurred collaborationswith the Office of the ChiefCommissioner for Persons withDisabilities (CCPD) and various StateCommissioners for Persons withDisabilities (SCPDs) who have displayed aparticular interest in initiating policereform. Why are the provisions of thedisability rights laws kept inhiding? The reason is that we arenot able to bring them out in thepublic.” - Justice G.S. Sistani, formerDelhi High Court Judge13Inclusive Policing for Persons with Disabilities stakeholder consultation, Delhi, 28 September 2024Left to Right: Dr Satendra Singh, Doctors with Disabilities: Agents of Change; George Abraham,Score Foundation; L. Muruganantham, Advocate, Madras High Court; Smitha Sadasivan,Disability Rights Alliance; and Kiran Nayak, Karnataka Vikalachetanara SangataneWe also produced a compilation of casestudies to spotlight the challenges,discrimination and abuse that persons withdisabilities face when interacting with lawenforcement. These stories expose howcurrent procedures exclude and neglectpersons with disabilities despite establishedlegal standards to protect their rights.

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There are groups working onpolice reforms but there was agap in looking at it from thedisability lens. iProbono fills thisvoid. I used their presentationduring a police academy trainingin West Bengal and am grateful tothem for allowing me to do so.”- Shampa Sengupta, Director,Sruti Disability Rights Centre Driving state accountabilitytowards disability rightsiProbono India participated in the PurpleConvention, an inclusive festival thatcelebrates persons with disabilities,organised by the Government of Goa. Weconvened a panel discussion titled"Strengthening the functioning of Chiefand State Commissioners for Persons withDisabilities." The conversation covered anarray of issues from the lack ofimplementation of the Commissioners'orders to the importance of strengtheningthe role of Special Courts. This discussion formed the basis for apetition we filed before the Supreme Courtto develop robust guidelines ensuringeffective implementation of CCPD andSCPD orders.Panel discussion, Purple Fest, Goa, 11 January 2024Left to right: Dr Nonita Gangwani, AssistantProfessor, Physiology, Safdarjung Hospital;Diethono Nakhro, State Commissioner forPersons with Disabilities, Nagaland; andSiddharth Nath, iProbono India paneladvocate14We co-produced a guide with theCCPD to drive appropriate policeaction when interacting with personswith disabilities. The CCPD issued aletter urging all SCPDs to conducttraining sessions with their respectivepolice departments, using this guide asa reference. I was attending a community event where a stampede-like situation occurred. Thepolice responded with a violent lathi charge. While several able-bodied people couldrun away, as a visually impaired individual, I could not. I was left pleading with thepolice to stop beating me, but they did not.”- Dr Sapam Jasowanta, Secretary General of Handicapped DevelopmentFoundation in Manipur

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STRATEGIC LITIGATIONIn addition to targeted advocacyinterventions, iProbono India alsoexplores the potential of litigation as atool to strengthen legal and policysafeguards for vulnerable communities. Streamlining Delhi’s victimcompensation processChildren often struggle to receive victimcompensation on time due to variousadministrative barriers. Recognising thedire implications of delayed financialrelief on the life and recovery of asurvivor, iProbono India collaboratedwith our panel advocate Mansi Sood tofile a Public Interest Litigation before theHigh Court of Delhi. This case, AbhishekYadav vs Delhi State Legal ServicesAuthority and Ors, prompted a landmarkjudgment calling for a more efficientprocess of disbursement of compensationfor child victims of abuse in Delhi. Thisoutcome unlocked legal protections fornearly 3000 children in Delhi in 2024alone. A notable provision of the Court order isestablishing a uniform process across allDLSAs, allowing victims who live outsideDelhi to receive compensation in theirhome states. It further directed thatcompensation orders be sent to theconcerned DLSA within three days ofissuance and clarified the documentationrequired for the DLSA to process claims.The Court also directed that informationboards and help desks be set up in trialcourts to improve awareness about avictim’s right to compensation. Our team successfully invoked this orderto secure compensation for 15 childvictims to whom we provide psychosocialsupport.15Helpdesk boards carrying information oncompensation under the Protection of Childrenfrom Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012

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Developing guidelines toenhance the functioning ofsupport personsTo amplify the impact of support persons,iProbono India intervened in the BachpanBachao Andolan vs Union of India casebefore the Supreme Court. Drawing onour experience as a support personorganisation, as well as the experiences ofother such organisations in Delhi,Bengaluru, and Mumbai, we highlightedchallenges faced on the ground. Wehighlighted, for instance, that supportpersons will be unable to capably performtheir responsibilities and duties towardssurvivors if they themselves are notproperly compensated or protected fromharassment. Shortly after ourintervention, the National Commissionfor the Protection of Child Rights(NCPCR), acting on the directions of theSupreme Court, developed the “ModelGuidelines for Support Persons underSection 39 of the POCSO Act”. iProbonoIndia collaborated with the NCPCR tojointly develop a Terms of Reference,which outlines safeguard mechanismsavailable to support persons, and whichnow serves as an annexure to theguidelines. These additions havestrengthened the overall impact of themodel guidelines and contribute to amore sustainable working model for childprotection. Advocating for informeddecision-making by theSentence Review BoardAs part of our commitment to establish amore accountable criminal justice system,iProbono India led a substantialintervention to reform the decision-making processes of the Sentence ReviewBoard (SRB). Entrusted with assessing thepremature release of convicts on a case bycase basis, the SRB frequently disregardsthe principles of reformation andrehabilitation. Instead, it emphasises thegravity of the original offense, which isnot meant to be the sole determiningfactor.iProbono India identified the prematurerelease of life convicts as a crucial andoverlooked area for intervention incriminal justice reform. As a result ofthis case, more prisoners in thesecircumstances are now approaching usfor legal representation. The team’sexceptional backend support thatincludes client coordination andsupport in shaping legal argumentsempowers lawyers like me tosustainably take on more pro bonowork. I was also helped immensely bythe fantastic iProbono team who helpedin coordinating with the petitioner andobtaining and verifying all the relevantdocuments.” - Vrinda Bhandari, iProbono Indiapanel advocate16Vijay, our client, spent over 23 years inprison. Despite his track record of goodconduct, the SRB denied his release on sixseparate occasions, focusing solely on thegravity of his original crime. In response, ourpanel advocate Vrinda Bhandari challengedthe SRB’s decision before the Delhi HighCourt in Vijay Kumar Shukla vs State of NCTof Delhi. Our team developed a detailedprocedural checklist to guide the SRB infuture reviews. The checklist ensuresalignment with established legal provisions,rules, and judicial precedents whileincorporating principles of rehabilitation.The Delhi High Court incorporated thechecklist in its final judgment andrecommended that the SRB apply it in futuredecision-making.

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ENHANCING CAPACITIES iProbono India conducts capacityenhancement sessions for a diverserange of stakeholders in the justicesystem including police officers, lawyers,civil society organisations, publicprosecutors, and state officers. Ourcollaborations bring nuance and depthto their understanding of the law, andstrengthen institutional accountabilityto vulnerable communities andindividuals. Bridging knowledge gapsin law enforcementLow awareness among police officersabout their responsibilities towardschildren in conflict with the law,coupled with a general lack of empathytowards their unique situations, cansignificantly hinder a child’s path tojustice. Recognising these critical gaps,iProbono India collaborated with policedepartments in Karnataka to delivertrainings for around 80 police officers.Sessions focused on their legalobligations under the Juvenile JusticeAct, 2015, and emphasised theimportance of sensitivity and adherenceto child-friendly procedures. InMaharashtra, we observed low levels ofawareness among the police on how toeffectively process compensationapplications on behalf of child victims ofabuse. In collaboration with the DLSAMumbai, we built awareness amongapproximately 80 police officers. Thesetrainings clarified protocols forprocessing victim compensationapplications to ensure that victims canaccess their entitlements promptly. 17 Fostering critical thinkingin academic legal educationiProbono India works with universitiesacross the country to encourage criticalthinking around issues of justice and childrights. We integrate perspectives that arelacking in formal curricula such as theimportance of adopting a victim-centredapproach to the law. This year, our teambrought their considerable expertise andexperience as practitioners into classroomsacross Delhi, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh,enhancing the sensitivity and knowledge of150 future legal practitioners. Launching India Pro BonoWeekPro Bono Weeks are part of a global movementchampioning public interest lawyering tobridge the access to justice gap. For over adecade, iProbono India has advanced thismovement by fostering collaboration betweenthe legal community and NGOs in India. Thisyear, we partnered with TrustLaw to helmIndia’s first ever Pro Bono Week – a series ofevents and workshops designed to amplify thebenefits of pro bono lawyering and expand probono services to NGOs. iProbono India’s sessions sparkedconversations amongst more than 150 lawyersand civil society representatives nationwide.Highlights included a roundtable with lawyersand NGOs on strategies to improve legalrepresentation of child survivors of sexualabuse in Maharashtra and a virtual session forNGOs on the effective implementation of thePrevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH)frameworks by Internal Complaints Committeemembers. As part of our flagship ‘Legal A-Z’series, we hosted a clinic to help NGOstranslate India’s labour laws into progressivepolicies in the workplace.

India Impact Report 2024

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