JAMMU, Aug 4: District Legal Services Authority, Jammu, under the guidance of Ravinder Nath Watal, Principal District & Sessions Judge/Chairman, DLSA Jammu, and under the supervision of Maleeka Sharma, Civil Judge (Sr. Division)/Secretary, DLSA Jammu, organized an Awareness-cum-Training Program for Para Legal Volunteers (PLVs) on Tuesday in the Conference Hall, District Court Complex, Jammu, regarding J&K Legal Services Authority (Para Legal Volunteers in Police Stations for Missing Children) Scheme, 2026.
The program was chaired by Maleeka Sharma, Chairperson of the Core Committee constituted under the aforesaid Scheme. The program was attended by Para Legal Volunteers of DLSA Jammu and Tehsil Legal Services Committees of Jammu, Bishnah, Akhnoor and R.S. Pura.
The Resource Persons for the program were Adv. Deepali Arora and Adv. Mayank Gupta, Members of the Core Committee constituted under the Scheme. They imparted comprehensive training to the PLVs regarding the provisions of the J&K Legal Services Authority (Para Legal Volunteers in Police Stations for Missing Children) Scheme, 2026.
They elaborated upon the constitutional mandate of providing free legal aid, the background and necessity of the Scheme, its objectives, and the crucial role of Para Legal Volunteers in assisting the parents/guardians of missing children.
Maleeka Sharma, Civil Judge (Sr. Division)/Secretary, DLSA Jammu, emphasized that PLVs must act as an effective link between all stakeholder authorities dealing with missing children. She urged them to act promptly and handle every case with sincerity and diligence. Further Ms. Deepali Arora and Mr. MayankGupta explained that the primary objective of the Scheme is to provide legal assistance to the parents or guardians of missing children in lodging FIRs/Missing Reports, filing the prescribed Missing Persons Information Form (Form ‘M’), facilitating coordination with the concerned authorities for tracing missing children, and ensuring timely dissemination of information to all concerned agencies. They further highlighted the responsibilities of PLVs in preparing hue and cry notices, guiding affected families, and acting as a vital link between the police, legal services institutions, and the public.
During the program various important legal aspects relating to Child Rights, Juvenile Justice, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in cases of Missing Children, Child Labor (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, the Constitution of India, the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, the role and responsibilities of Para Legal Volunteers, and the Criminal Justice System were discussed in detail.