Overview

Commonwealth Human Rights Institute (CHRI) was founded in 1993 as a society working on police and prison reforms, access to information, and media rights. CHRI empowers the marginalised by improving access to justice and increasing accountability- by monitoring institutions, ensuring effective representation, building the capacity of stakeholders, removing implementation gaps, advocacy, and reporting. 

 

Purva Bharti Educational Trust (PBET) was founded in 1995. They initially provided career-oriented education to students in rural pockets. Since then, they have expanded their work to strengthening education, livelihood, gender, legal aid, health, governance, art & culture, and disaster management with a special focus on the rights of women, children, economically disadvantaged. 

Geography: Koliapani, Titabor, Baghchung, and Dekhargarah blocks of Jorhat district,  Assam

The Ara Trust was founded in 2013 to provide legal aid to refugees seeking asylum. Ara is an all-women-lawyer-led organisation. They are a free legal service provider that uses law to secure the rights of the vulnerable - refugees, victims of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and now migrant laborers. 

Geography: Delhi

I-Probono India Legal Services was founded in 2011 with a mission to advance equality and justice by providing free legal aid and assistance to the vulnerable, strengthening civil society organisations through comprehensive legal support, and pursuing public interest litigations and legal reform. 

Geography: New Delhi, Bangalore, and Srinagar & Sopore districts of Jammu & Kashmir

Committee for Legal Aid to Poor (CLAP) was founded in 1982 with an aim to advance human rights through the use of law, legal processes, and legal systems. They enable people and communities to gain access to justice through direct services and representation. 

Geography: Odisha

Socio Legal Information Centre (SLIC) houses the Human Rights Law Network (HRLN). They provide pro-bono legal services for marginalised communities in India and undertake public interest litigations. They have extensive experience and use the four-pronged strategy of social activism, research, training, and public interest litigation.

Geography: Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi (for pro-bono legal aid) and selected states (for Fellowship programme)

Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy (‘Vidhi’) is an independent think-tank doing legal research to make better laws, and petition courts on important law and policy issues to improve governance for the public good. The centre runs a Constitutional Law Fellowship programme to address these issues and create a robust constitutional culture in India. 

Geography: offices based in Delhi NCR and Karnataka

The Institute for Development Education and Learning centre for Social Justice was established in 1993 to ensure access to justice by promoting an enabling policy and legislative environment that respects, promotes, and protects the human rights of vulnerable communities. 

Geography: Raipur & Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh) and Gumla (Jharkhand)

VARHAD was established in 2001 in Amravati by an alumnus of the Department of Criminology and an ex-staff member of Prayas. It provides prisoners with access to legal aid, psycho-social support as well as access to various schemes for both prisoners and their families. 

Geography: Amravati Central Jail, Akola District Jail, Maharashtra