We are happy to share with you that the Centre is offering a Single Credit Course on Justice Entrepreneurship. The course will be offered in physical mode at the NLUO campus from 15.08.2025 to 17.08.2025. The Course is open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students. Detailed information about the course is in the brochure attached to this email.

About the Course

The Justice Entrepreneurship credit course is a hands-on, 3-day experience where students dive into real-world justice challenges and develop innovative solutions. Through practical activities, students gain firsthand experience in justice-making, user-centred problem-solving, and the intersection of law and innovation. They will interact with real users, work closely with mentors, and craft solutions to address specific justice issues.

Topics to be Covered

1. Introduction to Justice Entrepreneurship
2. Identifying Community Challenges
3. Context-Specific Legal Barriers
4. Defining Problem Statements, Stakeholders and understanding Socio-Cultural Influences
5. Understanding existing Justice Entrepreneurs
6. Introduction to Transect Walk
7. Participatory Research Techniques for Justice Issues
8. Identifying Obstacles Citizens face in Accessing Justice
9. Engaging with Marginalised and Vulnerable Groups
10. Interpreting Insights for Action
11. Developing Prototype Solutions
12. Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Legal Innovation
13. Peer-to-Peer Learning & Team-Based Projects
14. Effective Storytelling for Justice Solutions
15. Pitching Legal Innovations to Stakeholders
16. Showcasing Solutions to the Community

About the Course Instructors
Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma is an alumnus of the National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata. He started his career as an associate at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, worked with an ODR platform SAMA, and worked with various human rights organisations such as Jansahas, Project Second Chance, Observer Research Foundation, among many other spaces. Currently, besides Law Firm Ready, he also co-founded Awaaz Leadership Labs, an initiative focusing on supporting law students in building law and justice ideas. He is also a Research Assistant at the Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute, Harvard University.

Previously, he has served as Editor of the Journal of Indian Law and Society (JILS) and Team Leader at Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access (IDIA). He has also been a core member of the NUJS Mentorship Buddy Initiative. He has mentored over 2000 law students across various domains, ranging from CLAT preparation to Online Dispute Resolution and career counselling.

Dimple Singh

Dimple Singh is a law graduate from Banasthali Vidyapith, Rajasthan. She is the co-founder of COHAS (Community of Hope and Support), an initiative that focuses on art-based learning pedagogical approach and emphasises constitutional values. She has experience in pro bono lawyering and has worked with organisations working in the field of child rights and women rights. She has trained over 1000 young students on climate, gender, and rights-based issues through her interactive workshops. She is working with Awaaz in JI 101 as a facilitator.

Brief Overview of the Course

Duration: 16 Hours of Session, including Presentation and Assessments

Dates: 15-17 August 2025.

Mode of Instruction: Offline/Physical

Course Fee: INR 1000/-

How to Pay and Register: Details in the Brochure (Click here)

Cuttack, Odisha

In a major stride toward strengthening child protection systems in the state, the Centre for Child Rights (CCR) at the National Law University Odisha (NLUO), supported by UNICEF, launched the Child Protection Mentorship Program (CPMP) on 18th July 2025 at NLUO, Cuttack.

Designed as a professional development initiative, the program aims to empower a new generation of child protection practitioners by equipping them with critical knowledge, practical tools, and ethical grounding necessary to respond to complex challenges facing children across the state.

The CCR at NLUO is a teaching, research and advocacy centre established to advance legal and social innovations in child protection. CCR engages in empirical research, advocacy, curriculum development, training of stakeholders and field-based partnerships. Over the years, it has emerged as a thought and practise leader in areas like juvenile justice, child participation, alternative care, child-friendly policing, child safety, survival, Economic-Social-Cultural rights of children etc.

The program aims to build a cadre of child protection practitioners who can support government schemes, strengthen NGO interventions, work with statutory bodies such as the Juvenile Justice Boards and Child Welfare Committees, and serve as watchdogs of child rights within their communities. Through structured learning, mentoring, assignments, and peer engagement, the CPMP envisions fostering reflective practitioners capable of critical analysis and compassionate action. The initiative aligns with India’s commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and supports national goals of building a competent and accountable child protection workforce, especially in high-risk and underserved geographies.

The CPMP is a response to the felt and expressed need of CP practitioners and the juvenile justice leaders in the sector. The course co-leads are Mr Ankit K Keshri, Unicef supported Technical consultant with NLUO-CCR and Dr Rashmi Rekha Baug, Assistant Prof of Law and Co-Director of the NLUO-CCR. The course curation was led by Mr Keshri. And the mentees were selected with a combination of eligibility criteria, through an open and transparent process and commitment to Odisha and child protection were key criteria.

The inaugural event, held in a hybrid format, witnessed the participation of eminent dignitaries from the judiciary, academia and civil society, as well as development professionals from various parts of Odisha, with 100 selected mentees forming the first cohort of the program. The valedictory address was delivered by Hon’ble Justice Murahari Sri Raman, Judge of the Orissa High Court and Member of the Juvenile Justice Committee – Odisha High Court. The event graced Mr Jagadananda, Mentor and Co-Founder of the Centre for Youth and Social Development (CYSD); Ms Vijayalakshmi Arora, Child Protection Specialist at UNICEF New Delhi; Mr Manna Biswas, Child Protection Specialist at UNICEF Odisha; Mr. Sujit Mahapatra, Secretary of the Bakul Foundation. Eminent mentors such as A K Asthana, lawyer and child rights activist; Bharti Ali, former Executive Director of HAQ Centre for Child Rights; Nimisha Srivastava,  Executive Director and Founder of Counsel to Secure Justice; Swagata Raha, Co-Director – Restorative Practices, Enfold India and Co-Founder of Enfold Health Trust; Govind Beniwal, Child Protection Specialist from Unicef; Ghasiram Panda, Child Protection Specialist, Unicef Odisha also joined digitally.

Prof Biraj Swain, Chief Minister’s Chair Professor and Director, CCR-NLUO delivered the opening remarks.

Following this, Prof. Ved Kumari, Vice Chancellor of NLUO and Patron-in-chief of CCR delivered the welcome address where she reinforced the role of academic institutions as changemakers in the social justice landscape. She spoke about the interdisciplinary nature of child protection work and commended CCR’s initiative to bridge the knowledge-practice gap through a mentorship model.

She said – Children and adolescents often take risks not because they’re defiant, but because their brains are still developing. With limited capacity to assess long-term consequences, continuous hormonal changes, what emerges is a ‘bulletproof’ mindset. They chase thrill, feel invincible, and remain less afraid of outcomes they barely understand.

Ms Vijayalakshmi Arora spoke on the importance of building the social service workforce. She contextualized the mentorship programme within a national and global push for professionalising child protection cadre and emphasized the role of training, mentoring, and reflective practice in building sustainable impact.

Drawing from decades of community engagement and building and strengthening civil society engagement, Mr Jagadananda, spoke on Odisha’s development trajectory and the essential role civil society had played, from humanitarian crisis and rebuilding, to planning for long-term development, to building civic capacity on Right to Information and Food Security and state capacity to respond. He also emphasised the centrality of investing in youth, young adults, adolescents, children for demographic dividends and society’s development. He called for investments in leadership development and urged participants to remain grounded in community realities and shared pragmatic inputs on 1-0-1 of working with the state systems.

Mr Sujit Mahapatra shared on the importance of art and creative works in trauma healing, therapy and building confidence amongst children. He spoke on From Art to Heart: Working with Children in Especially Difficult Circumstances.

Mr Manna Biswas provided an overview of the CPMP and presented the objectives, framework, and expected outcomes of the Program. Designed for Odisha-based professionals with a commitment to children of Odisha, it combines expert sessions, interactive discussions on topics such as child rights law, trauma-informed care, juvenile justice, ethical reporting, and crisis intervention. Participation is free, limited to 100 seats, and aims to ensure focused mentoring. Mr. Biswas highlighted the program’s inclusivity and the provision of completion certificates based on active engagement and consistent participation.

Following this, Mr. Ankit K Keshri introduced the mentors and mentees, setting expectations for the collaborative journey ahead. He explained how the mentorship model aims to foster ongoing support, guidance, and reflective practice, enabling mentees to translate knowledge into action. He encouraged participants to see this as a collective learning ecosystem and urged them to take ownership of their development. He shared that 225 applicants registered from amongst whom 100 were selected through a fair and transparent process which was communicated to each one of the applicants.

This was followed by an open house discussion for the mentees moderated by Dr Swagatika Samal, Researcher in the Chief Minister’s Chair Professor team, Dr Pradipta K Sarangi, Researcher in the Chief Minister’s Chair Professor team and Mr Ankit K Keshri. Some of the points raised by the mentees are:

• The skill to build rapport with adolescents as sometimes it becomes difficult for the mentees to communicate and understand them while working with them
• In case of mentally challenged children, how to seek full support from the non-supportive parents for better and timely treatment of such children
• Awareness on child protection programmes and schemes being rendered by the government especially to the police/railway police personnel as duty bearers etc.

Hon’ble Justice Murahari Sri Raman delivered the valedictory address. He emphasized the critical role of the CPMP in strengthening the capacity of frontline child protection actors in Odisha. Highlighting the unique vulnerabilities children face due to systemic neglect and social challenges, he commended the programme’s restorative justice approach, community engagement, and legal grounding. Justice Raman called for shifting from institutional care to preventive, rights-based interventions and praised NLUO’s KUTUMB initiative and the Centre for Child Rights’ leadership in driving community-based protection. He urged mentees to act with compassion, vigilance, and accountability to uphold children’s dignity and rights. “Let Odisha lead the way. Let us become the state where child protection is not a scattered mandate but a shared value” – he stated and expressed hope that the CPMP would create a ripple effect, strengthening Odisha’s child protection landscape from the grassroots upwards.

A formal vote of thanks was delivered by Dr. Pradipta Kumar Sarangi, and Dr. Swagatika Samal. The event marked the formal commencement of the four-month online mentorship program, which will unfold through 32 curated sessions delivered by experts in the fields of law, social work, child psychology, policy advocacy, and community engagement.

The NLUO-CCR is comprising of Mr Amulya Swain, Mr Ankit K Keshri, Dr Swagatika Samal, Dr Pradipta Sarangi, Dr Rashmi Rekha Baug, Dr Shubhanginee Singh, led by Prof Biraj Swain. The Vice Chancellor of NLUO is the Patron-in-Chief of the NLUO-CCR. The Centre also has 19 student members who have been selected by open competition. The student members are headlined by Dhruv Dhingra, a final year student of the BBA-LLB programme and Aradhana Nayak of final year of 3-year LLB programme.

For further information, please contact:

Mr Ankit K Keshri: akeshri@nluo.ac.in Mob: 9475133988

Dr. Rashmi Rekha Baug: rashmi@nluo.ac.in Mob: 7008617386
Centre for Child Rights (CCR), NLUO, Website: www.nluo.ac.in

The Centre for Public Health Law (CPHL), National Law University Odisha, in collaboration with National Law University Tripura and
Vital Strategies, New Delhi, is organising a Two-Day National Workshop-Cum-Consultation on Strengthening Tobacco Control Laws in
India as a part of its Project on Tobacco Control Initiatives on 14th & 15th November 2025.

The Workshop seeks to critically examine India’s tobacco control regime amidst rising public health concerns, novel tobacco products,
and growing industry interference. Through keynote addresses, panel discussions, and paper presentations, the event will explore pressing
issues such as surrogate advertising, legal age of sale, vendor licensing, and cross-sectoral enforcement mechanisms. It aims to
strengthen India’s compliance with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and support the national goal of a tobacco-freesociety under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.

Please check the brochure for further details. (Click Here for Brochure)

About the CDLA
The Centre for Disability Law and Advocacy (CDLA) at National Law University Odisha is a dedicated platform committed to advancing the rights of persons with disabilities through legal research, policy advocacy, and inclusive education. It brings together students, faculty, and experts to engage in interdisciplinary dialogue, promote awareness, and drive change in disability law and social justice. CDLA organises workshops, credit courses, sensitisation sessions, field visits, access audits, and publishes newsletters highlighting key legal developments. The Centre actively collaborates with national and international stakeholders, aiming to create a more equitable, inclusive, and accessible society through its sustained academic and outreach efforts.
Details about the Credit Course
This Online Two-credit course on Human Rights and Social Justice: Disability, Gender, and Vulnerable Communities aims to explore the intersection of human rights and social justice, focusing on the legal, social, and policy frameworks affecting persons with disabilities, gender minorities, and other vulnerable communities. It examines key international and national human rights instruments, including the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and Indian constitutional provisions.
Through case studies and critical discussions, students will get an insight to analyze discrimination, social exclusion, and intersectionality while assessing the role of state and non-state actors in advancing equity and inclusion. The course aims to develop advocacy skills, policy analysis abilities, and a deep understanding of legal protections for marginalized groups. By the end, students will be equipped to engage in informed debates and contribute meaningfully to social justice movements and legal reforms in India and beyond.
Who is it for
Open to students and professionals interested in human rights, disability law, gender studies, and social justice advocacy.
Registration procedure
Interested individuals must register through the registration link given and pay the applicable fee. For more details, please find the Credit Course Brochure.
Fee details
• PwD: ₹500
• Students: ₹1000
• Professionals: ₹1500
Course Details
Course duration: 32 Hours
Course Start Date: 18th July 2025
Course End Date: 9th August 2025
Course Days: Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Date of Exam: 10th August 2025
Mode of Lecture: Online
Mode of Examination: Online
Contact information
 Dr. Tanwi Shams, Director: +91 86381 39474
 Kajol Nayak, Convenor: +91 9692288223
 Aditi Krishna, Co-Convenor: +91 6364020199
 Mail – cdla@nluo.ac.in

Information Brouchre

Cuttack, Odisha | May 5, 2025 — In a significant step towards strengthening grassroots child protection mechanisms, the Centre for Child Rights (CCR) at National Law University Odisha (NLUO), in collaboration with its flagship community engagement initiative Project Kutumb, successfully conducted the launch cum orientation program for Community Level Child Protection Committees (CLCPCs) on May 5, 2025, at Brajabeharipur (Talasahi), Cuttack. The CLCPC were launched in the presence of the Mayor of Cuttack Municipality, Subhas Chandra Singh, District Child Protection Officer, Pragati Mohanty, Corporator of Ward No 3, Pradeep Rout and NLUO Vice Chancellor Professor Ved Kumari. Project KUTUMB is led by Dr Akshay Verma from NLUO and Dr Swagatika Samal from NLUO CCR and supported by Durbadala Mantry, Kanishka, Vijay Bhaskar, Dr Pradipta Sarangi, Amulya Swain, Ankit Kumar Keshri and Prof Biraj Swain NLUO.

The orientation program is part of NLUO’s commitment to creating Child-Friendly Communities, and it marks a milestone in Project Kutumb’s mission to foster safer environments for vulnerable and at-risk children. The event aimed to formally establish the CLCPC for the neighbouring settlements and to sensitize and train its members—comprising key stakeholders such as local youth groups, Self Help Groups (SHGs), school teachers, ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM), parents and caregivers, community leaders, elected representatives—on their roles and responsibilities in ensuring children’s rights, protection and overall well-being.

Project Kutumb, launched in August 2022, is NLUO’s flagship outreach programme, implemented with the shared leadership of the CCR. It seeks to holistically transform adopted settlements into aspirational communities with active citizenship and responsive state mechanisms. The project takes a rights-based and community-driven approach by empowering families, children and local institutions to take an active role in child protection. It is being implemented in Braja Beharipur (Upara Sahi and Tala Sahi), Baba Tilkanagar, Valmiki Nagar.

The initiative aligns with the objectives of the Mission Vatsalya mandate of Government of India, which advocates for decentralized and community-led mechanisms to protect children in need of care and protection. Through a combination of awareness-building, capacity enhancement, needs assessment, and vulnerability mapping, Project Kutumb, aims to establish sustainable, locally lead child protection systems with long-term impact.

Founded in 2015, the Centre for Child Rights (CCR) is the oldest research, teaching and advocacy center at National Law University Odisha. It is also the second oldest CCR in any NLU in India and the only Chair Professorship on Child Rights in India (Law or non Law Universities included), thanks to the efforts of the Vice Chancellor Prof Ved Kumari. The CCR is committed to advancing child rights through teaching, legal research, policy advocacy, training and community engagement. As one of the key actors of Project Kutumb, CCR has conducted extensive vulnerability mapping and needs assessments in the adopted settlements to ensure that interventions are data-driven and need-sensitive, keep the best interests of the children front and centre. This is per the NITI Ayog mandated indicators.

CLCPC serves as the grassroots mechanisms for monitoring child rights violations, responding to abuse or exploitation and promoting children’s safety through community participation. The CLCPCs with their members and mandates were launched at the event. This is in keeping with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which India is a signatory to, and it marks the 10th anniversary of SDGs this year.

During the orientation program, members of the newly formed CLCPC were introduced to key child protection issues prevalent in their settlement, about children’s rights, existing legal safeguards and services, reporting mechanisms and the responsibilities expected of them as community protectors which include identifying at-risk children, ensuring access to government welfare schemes, reporting violations and fostering a child-sensitive environment.

Subash Chandra Singh, Mayor of Cuttack Municipal Corporation, underscored the municipality’s commitment and support for child rights initiatives. Commending the efforts of the community members, NLUO and Project Kutumb, he said: “Inspite of the progressive laws, courts and institutions, there are so many children missing, trafficked. This needs the commitment of the state, citizens and the society to reintegrate children back to their family. The state of the child is the metric of the society and its imagination of the future. Not a single child should drop out of education. No child should be harnessed into child labour because of the poverty of the family members. No settlements/habitats should have liquor shops. Excise duty from liquor should never compete with child welfare. That is not a trade-off we can afford. Every child in conflict with law is a child whose rights have been violated, a child whose need for care and protection has been neglected, hence child protection is of immense importance.”

Pradeep Rout, Corporator of Ward No 3, expressed appreciation for the initiative. He committed his own leadership for the issue of child protection and acknowledged the collaboration and leadership of NLUO and pledged to work closely with the community members, CLCPC members and NLUO to transform the Ward No 3 into a child friendly community.

The participation of local leaders highlighted the growing recognition of child protection as an essential component of development and as a shared responsibility. The presence of Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM), ASHA and Anganwadi workers, school staff, and Self Help Group (SHG) members added strength to the diverse, community-rooted approach envisioned by Project Kutumb. The community members of Brajabeharipur Tala Sahi voluntarily contributed infrastructural and electrical accessories as a mark of their ownership and commitment to child protection.

Regular review meetings, refresher training programs, linkages with Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) and District Child Protection Units (DCPUs), and feedback mechanisms have been planned to ensure the CLCPCs remains active and effective foregrounding children, their voice, agency, safety and progress.

In this context, the Vice-Chancellor of NLUO, Prof Ved Kumari, who conceptualised Project Kutumb, noted that substantive progress in child protection is possible only when there is consistent collaboration between community and the state instruments and children have a voice and agency in shaping their own and their community’s futures. She further added, “It is the responsibility of premier educational institutions to contribute to the life and aspirations of the society, especially the neighbourhoods around them. NLUO is not just an institution to churn out legal professionals, NLUO is also committed to the agenda of justice and enabling the under-privileged children and communities in the neighbourhood for better lives and life-chances, is a core ambition of KUTUMB and NLUO. Children need to be listened to, not just be made members in planning committees pro forma. The inter-generational dialogue, the conversations between children and the elders need to happen meaningfully.”

The CLCPC will be the first port of call, the platform for community and the state child protection machinery, ensuring timely reporting, service delivery and grievance redressal. Highlighting the importance of this critical link in safeguarding children from adverse experiences, Pragati Mohanty, the District Child Protection Officer, Cuttack said, it is as much the responsibility of the parents, society and the elected representatives.

Towards this goal, as the CLCPC begins functioning in the settlements of Braja Beharipur (Upara Sahi and Tala Sahi), Valmiki Nagar and Baba Tilkanagar. NLUO’s CCR and Project Kutumb will continue to provide technical and institutional support, enabling members to make their communities child friendly where every child is protected and thrives.

For further infor

Cuttack, Odisha | May 5, 2025 — In a significant step towards strengthening grassroots child protection mechanisms, the Centre for Child Rights (CCR) at National Law University Odisha (NLUO), in collaboration with its flagship community engagement initiative Project Kutumb, successfully conducted the launch cum orientation program for Community Level Child Protection Committees (CLCPCs) on May 5, 2025, at Brajabeharipur (Talasahi), Cuttack. The CLCPC were launched in the presence of the Mayor of Cuttack Municipality, Subhas Chandra Singh, District Child Protection Officer, Pragati Mohanty, Corporator of Ward No 3, Pradeep Rout and NLUO Vice Chancellor Professor Ved Kumari. Project KUTUMB is led by Dr Akshay Verma from NLUO and Dr Swagatika Samal from NLUO CCR and supported by Durbadala Mantry, Kanishka, Vijay Bhaskar, Dr Pradipta Sarangi, Amulya Swain, Ankit Kumar Keshri and Prof Biraj Swain NLUO.

The orientation program is part of NLUO’s commitment to creating Child-Friendly Communities, and it marks a milestone in Project Kutumb’s mission to foster safer environments for vulnerable and at-risk children. The event aimed to formally establish the CLCPC for the neighbouring settlements and to sensitize and train its members—comprising key stakeholders such as local youth groups, Self Help Groups (SHGs), school teachers, ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM), parents and caregivers, community leaders, elected representatives—on their roles and responsibilities in ensuring children’s rights, protection and overall well-being.

Project Kutumb, launched in August 2022, is NLUO’s flagship outreach programme, implemented with the shared leadership of the CCR. It seeks to holistically transform adopted settlements into aspirational communities with active citizenship and responsive state mechanisms. The project takes a rights-based and community-driven approach by empowering families, children and local institutions to take an active role in child protection. It is being implemented in Braja Beharipur (Upara Sahi and Tala Sahi), Baba Tilkanagar, Valmiki Nagar.

The initiative aligns with the objectives of the Mission Vatsalya mandate of Government of India, which advocates for decentralized and community-led mechanisms to protect children in need of care and protection. Through a combination of awareness-building, capacity enhancement, needs assessment, and vulnerability mapping, Project Kutumb, aims to establish sustainable, locally lead child protection systems with long-term impact.

Founded in 2015, the Centre for Child Rights (CCR) is the oldest research, teaching and advocacy center at National Law University Odisha. It is also the second oldest CCR in any NLU in India and the only Chair Professorship on Child Rights in India (Law or non Law Universities included), thanks to the efforts of the Vice Chancellor Prof Ved Kumari. The CCR is committed to advancing child rights through teaching, legal research, policy advocacy, training and community engagement. As one of the key actors of Project Kutumb, CCR has conducted extensive vulnerability mapping and needs assessments in the adopted settlements to ensure that interventions are data-driven and need-sensitive, keep the best interests of the children front and centre. This is per the NITI Ayog mandated indicators.

CLCPC serves as the grassroots mechanisms for monitoring child rights violations, responding to abuse or exploitation and promoting children’s safety through community participation. The CLCPCs with their members and mandates were launched at the event. This is in keeping with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which India is a signatory to, and it marks the 10th anniversary of SDGs this year.

During the orientation program, members of the newly formed CLCPC were introduced to key child protection issues prevalent in their settlement, about children’s rights, existing legal safeguards and services, reporting mechanisms and the responsibilities expected of them as community protectors which include identifying at-risk children, ensuring access to government welfare schemes, reporting violations and fostering a child-sensitive environment.

Subash Chandra Singh, Mayor of Cuttack Municipal Corporation, underscored the municipality’s commitment and support for child rights initiatives. Commending the efforts of the community members, NLUO and Project Kutumb, he said: “Inspite of the progressive laws, courts and institutions, there are so many children missing, trafficked. This needs the commitment of the state, citizens and the society to reintegrate children back to their family. The state of the child is the metric of the society and its imagination of the future. Not a single child should drop out of education. No child should be harnessed into child labour because of the poverty of the family members. No settlements/habitats should have liquor shops. Excise duty from liquor should never compete with child welfare. That is not a trade-off we can afford. Every child in conflict with law is a child whose rights have been violated, a child whose need for care and protection has been neglected, hence child protection is of immense importance.”

Pradeep Rout, Corporator of Ward No 3, expressed appreciation for the initiative. He committed his own leadership for the issue of child protection and acknowledged the collaboration and leadership of NLUO and pledged to work closely with the community members, CLCPC members and NLUO to transform the Ward No 3 into a child friendly community.

The participation of local leaders highlighted the growing recognition of child protection as an essential component of development and as a shared responsibility. The presence of Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM), ASHA and Anganwadi workers, school staff, and Self Help Group (SHG) members added strength to the diverse, community-rooted approach envisioned by Project Kutumb. The community members of Brajabeharipur Tala Sahi voluntarily contributed infrastructural and electrical accessories as a mark of their ownership and commitment to child protection.

Regular review meetings, refresher training programs, linkages with Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) and District Child Protection Units (DCPUs), and feedback mechanisms have been planned to ensure the CLCPCs remains active and effective foregrounding children, their voice, agency, safety and progress.

In this context, the Vice-Chancellor of NLUO, Prof Ved Kumari, who conceptualised Project Kutumb, noted that substantive progress in child protection is possible only when there is consistent collaboration between community and the state instruments and children have a voice and agency in shaping their own and their community’s futures. She further added, “It is the responsibility of premier educational institutions to contribute to the life and aspirations of the society, especially the neighbourhoods around them. NLUO is not just an institution to churn out legal professionals, NLUO is also committed to the agenda of justice and enabling the under-privileged children and communities in the neighbourhood for better lives and life-chances, is a core ambition of KUTUMB and NLUO. Children need to be listened to, not just be made members in planning committees pro forma. The inter-generational dialogue, the conversations between children and the elders need to happen meaningfully.”

The CLCPC will be the first port of call, the platform for community and the state child protection machinery, ensuring timely reporting, service delivery and grievance redressal. Highlighting the importance of this critical link in safeguarding children from adverse experiences, Pragati Mohanty, the District Child Protection Officer, Cuttack said, it is as much the responsibility of the parents, society and the elected representatives.

Towards this goal, as the CLCPC begins functioning in the settlements of Braja Beharipur (Upara Sahi and Tala Sahi), Valmiki Nagar and Baba Tilkanagar. NLUO’s CCR and Project Kutumb will continue to provide technical and institutional support, enabling members to make their communities child friendly where every child is protected and thrives.

For further information, please contact:

Dr Swagatika Samal: swagatika@nluo.ac.in Mob: 9439872656

Dubadala Mantry: d.mantry@nluo.ac.in Mob: 9692004909
Centre for Child Rights (CCR) and Project KUTUMB
National Law University Odisha (NLUO)

mation, please contact:

Dr Swagatika Samal: swagatika@nluo.ac.in Mob: 9439872656

Dubadala Mantry: d.mantry@nluo.ac.in Mob: 9692004909
Centre for Child Rights (CCR) and Project KUTUMB
National Law University Odisha (NLUO)

National Law University Odisha (NLUO) and the Mary Anne Charity Trust (MACT), Chennai, have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly develop, localize, and implement the Tobacco Monitor Mobile Application in the state of Odisha. MACT, registered under the Indian Trusts Act of 1882, is committed to human rights in the areas of environment and health. It is known for its work on the Tobacco Monitor App and multilingual outreach. This collaborative initiative aims to bolster tobacco control efforts through digital innovation, effective information dissemination, and community engagement. The collaboration is part of the Project Tobacco Control Initiatives undertaken by NLUO.

Under this MoU, NLUO will partner with MACT to adapt and translate the Tobacco Monitor App into Odia for the state of Odisha. This will ensure accessibility for local users and maximize its reach and impact across the state. The collaboration reflects the shared vision of both parties to contribute toward a tobacco-free India.

This non-binding agreement sets the foundation for a mutually beneficial partnership, focusing on monitoring, reporting, and empowering communities to participate in tobacco regulation enforcement. The Tobacco Monitor App offers a range of features designed to support tobacco control efforts. Users will be able to access vital information on tobacco laws, they can report violations of tobacco control laws, including non-compliance with ban orders or specific regulations, with a comprehensive list of violations available for selection. They can also track the status of their complaints, from registration to resolution. The app provides support options, including cessation assistance, and allows for volunteer registration to aid tobacco control initiatives. Additionally, the app includes a ToFEl function to assess schools’ tobacco-free status and provides updates on tobacco control campaigns and events.

The MoU has been facilitated by the Centre for Public Health Law and the project team of Global Tobacco Control Project at NLUO. The MoU was formalized by the NLUO Registrar and Mr. S. Cyril Alexander, Executive Director of MACT, reaffirming their commitment to innovation in public health governance. Together, the parties aim to leverage technology and legal expertise to create a robust monitoring mechanism tailored to the socio linguistic needs of Odisha and promote healthier communities in Odisha.

The Intellectual Property Analysis and Advocacy Centre (IPAAC), National Law University Odisha organized a Commemorative Event for World Intellectual Property Day on the 27th of April 2025, at 2.00 P.M. to celebrate the theme of the year “IP and music: Feel the beat of IP”.
The event commenced with Welcome address by Dr. Rujitha Shenoy followed by the lecture by Mr. Abhijit Kumar, Lecture, University of Leicester whose expertise lies in intellectual property rights, and teaches IP-related modules at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The Session witnessed discussions with respect to the nuances of Intellectual Property Laws and how it protects the music industry and the challenges faced in the era of AI. The Session attended by faculties and students ended with discussions on gaps in the IP Laws in protecting the folk music and probable solutions to it.