NALSAR and RDI-India Establish Center for Land Rights

To address the lack of implementation, assistance and even awareness of land laws for rural families in India, the state government of Andhra Pradesh, NALSAR University of Law, and Landesa’s partner in India, RDI, are establishing a Center for Land Rights at NALSAR’s campus in Hyderabad.

The absence of information about land rights is one of the factors slowing rural development in Andhra Pradesh. It is estimated that there are thousands of court cases pertaining to land issues representing twenty percent of rural land in the state, according to government officials.

The Center’s Programs and Objectives

• Educate and train paralegals, revenue officers and others working to secure land rights for poor families
• Conduct research on land rights, legal aid and paralegal services
• Take up initiatives for spreading legal awareness on land laws and strengthen land rights paralegal services
• Educate rural families about their rights.
• Establish a land rights helpline
• Publish a newsletter on land laws written in English and the regional language, Telegu, for circulation among policy makers, local officials, law students, media, NGOs, and paralegals