This article is written by Reeba Banday
If you’ve ever spoken to someone who struggled with the legal system, you’ll
notice one thing most people don’t know where to begin. And honestly, why
would they? It’s complicated, government offices are scary, and the system
often excludes regular people.
This is where NGOs help. They don’t do grand events; they sit and listen to
people, explaining their rights in simple terms.
Sometimes it’s just talking. Sometimes they walk with someone to the police
station who is afraid. And sometimes, they take a large social problem to court
when no one else will.
Role of NGOs in Addressing Social Issues
1.Education and Awareness
A lot of injustice survives because people simply don’t know they can say no.
You’d be surprised how many women don’t know the Domestic Violence Act
protects them, or how many children have no idea what “safe touch” even
means. NGOs step into this gap and explain rights in everyday language no
legal jargon, no confusing terms.
They visit villages, schools, tiny classrooms, and community lanes. They talk,
answer questions, and repeat things until people genuinely understand.
Awareness itself becomes a form of strength. Once a person knows they have
a right, it’s hard to silence them again.
2.Legal Help and Ground Support
Let’s be honest: filing an FIR or appearing in court can scare anyone
especially someone who’s facing trauma. Most people don’t know where to
go, whom to trust, or what the next step even looks like. NGOs basically take
them by the hand.
They help write complaints, gather documents, and make sure the police treat
survivors with respect. They sit beside them in courtrooms, explain what the
judge said, and prepare them for the next date. Without this emotional and
legal support, many cases wouldn’t even start.
3.Taking Bigger Battles to Court (PILs)
Some issues are too big for one person like workplace harassment or river
pollution. That’s when NGOs file Public Interest Litigations (PILs). And many
of these PILs have changed India.
Take the Vishaka case (1997), for example. Women’s groups went to the
Supreme Court because there was no law against sexual harassment at work.
The Court responded with the Vishaka Guidelines, which eventually became
the POSH Act.
Environmental protection? A huge part of it came from M.C. Mehta’s series of
PILs, which pushed the courts to recognise that a clean environment is part of
the right to life.
Case Laws
1.Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan (1997)
Filed by women’s organisations after the Bhanwari Devi incident, this case
created India’s first framework on workplace sexual harassment. The Vishaka
Guidelines later became the POSH Act, 2013. NGOs were central to bringing
this case before the Supreme Court.
2.M.C. Mehta v. Union of India (Environmental PILs)
Through multiple petitions, supported by NGOs, M.C. Mehta convinced the
Court that pollution, unsafe industries, and environmental degradation violate
Article 21. These PILs transformed India’s environmental law system.
3.PUCL v. Union of India (Right to Food Case)
NGOs highlighted hunger deaths and failures in ration distribution. The
Supreme Court recognised the Right to Food under Article 21 and issued
long-term directions that continue today.
HOW NGOs USE LAWS TO FIGHT INJUSTICE
1.Using Constitutional Rights
Whenever fundamental rights are ignored, NGOs file petitions directly under
Articles 226 and 32.
2.Protecting Vulnerable Groups Through Special Laws
Children – POCSO Act
NGOs teach children about safe touch, help report abuse, ensure medical
support, and accompany them during trial proceedings.
Women – Domestic Violence Act
NGOs, recognised as service providers, assist with protection orders, shelter
homes, counselling, and medical assistance.
Caste-based Violence – SC/ST Act
NGOs ensure FIRs aren’t diluted, help access compensation, and assist
families in navigating Special Courts.
Trafficked Persons, Workers, Bonded Labour Survivors
NGOs use the Bonded Labour Act and IPC provisions to rescue victims,
secure release certificates, and support long-term rehabilitation.
Keeping an Eye on New Laws
Passing a law is step one; enforcing it is step two. NGOs monitor:
Transgender Persons Act:helping with ID changes, welfare schemes, and
discrimination cases.
Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act:ensuring accessibility, reservation,
and inclusion.
Forest Rights Act:helping tribal communities file claims, preventing illegal
eviction, and ensuring Gram Sabha participation.
Conclusion
If India has learned anything, it is that laws don’t work on their own. They
need people who question, demand, and refuse to stay silent. NGOs do
exactly this.
Whether they are explaining rights in a rural classroom, supporting a survivor
in court, or filing a PIL that changes national policy, NGOs make justice
reachable. Cases like Vishaka and M.C. Mehta show that many major reforms
didn’t begin with the government they began with ordinary people who
refused to treat injustice as “normal.”
That is why NGOs matter. They ensure rights exist not just in legal books, but
in the daily lives of people who need them most.
FAQs
1.What role do NGOs play in reducing social injustice?
They provide awareness, legal help, community support, and take systemic
issues to court through PILs.
2.How do NGOs assist victims of violence?
By helping file FIRs, offering counselling, arranging medical care, guiding
them in court, and ensuring safety measures.
3.Are NGOs recognised under Indian law?
Yes. Under laws like POCSO, Domestic Violence Act, and the Disabilities Act,
NGOs have formally assigned roles.
4.Why are PILs filed by NGOs important?
They lead to landmark reforms Vishaka Guidelines, environmental protection
orders, right to food movement, etc.
5.Why does India still need NGOs?
Because many people still don’t know their rights, and the justice system can
feel inaccessible without support.
References
- National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).
- Human Rights Watch. “Barriers to Justice.”
- Vishaka and Others vs. State of Rajasthan and Others (1997).
- Economic and Political Weekly (EPW). “M.C. Mehta and PIL in
Environment.” EPW, Vol. 42, Issue 10, 2007. - India Code (NIC). “The Constitution of India: Articles 32 and 22
