Consultation Program on ‘Laws related to Women in Prisons’
Newspunjab
5th Feb 2025
The National Commission of Women, New Delhi, India in collaboration with Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL), Punjab, Patiala organized a Law Consultation Programme on ‘Laws related to Women in Prisons’ for the Northwest Region of India, focusing on mainly Five (5) States of India, namely, (i) Punjab; (ii) Himachal Pradesh; (iii) Uttarakhand; (iv) Ladakh; and (v) Jammu & Kashmir, on 5th February 2025.
The event featured twenty-four prominent personalities from Judiciary, Police and Jail Administration, Legal Aid, Legal and Educational Institutions, Medicine, Sports, Juvenile Justice Boards from many states of India. The resource persons included DR. K.P. Singh-former DGP and DG (Prisons) Haryana; Justice Paramjit Singh Dhaliwal-Former Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court; Shri Mukesh Kumar- Vice Principal, Punjab Jail Training School, Patiala; Dr. Ravjot Grewal (IPS)- SSP, Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab; Professor
Dr. Sanjay Tewari-Honorary Professor, Russian Academy of Social and Fundamental Sciences, Moscow; Shri Manjinder Singh, Member Secretary, Punjab State Legal Service Authority, Punjab Government; Dr. Gagandeep Kaur- Civil Judge and Secretary, District Legal Aid Authority, Shri Muktsar Sahib; Shri Varun Sharma- Superintendent, Punjab Jail Training School, Patiala; Advocate Sarbjit Singh Verka, District Courts, Patiala; Miss Neena Mishra, Advocate, Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh High Court; Professor (Dr.) Savita – Director, Centre for Women Studies, University of Jammu and Kashmir; Professor (Dr.) Devinder Singh, Panjab University, Chandigarh; Professor (Dr.) Anil Kumar, Central University of Himachal Pradesh; Professor (Dr.) Ajay Ranga, Dean, Chitkara Law School; Professor (Dr.) Bindu Jindal, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be) University; Dr. Mandeep Kaur Bal, Gynaecologist and Medical Officer, Civil Hospital, Barnala; Dr. Seema Gupta, Chandigarh University; Dr. Balwinder Kaur, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar National Law University; Dr. Gautam Sood, Juvenile Justice Board. Patiala; Dr. Ruchi Sapahia, Himachal Pradesh National Law University; Dr. Vaishali Thakur, Panjab University Rego Campus; Dr. Gagan Preet and Dr. Shruti Goyal from RGNUL, Punjab.
A book entitled, “Technology, Media and the ‘Youth’: Exploring the Context of Sustainable Development and Growth,” edited by Dr. Jasleen Kewlani, the Convener of the Law Consultation Programme, has also been released in the Inaugural function.
The Chief Guest, Shri Manmohan Verma, Law Officer of National Commission for Women, India shared the object of the National Commission for Women, India shared the extreme importance the ‘institutional collaborations’ hold in terms of research, academics and legal amendments aiming at improvement in the lives and living of women prisoners. He also emphasized on the role of the Consultation Programmes being held by NCW, in all the geographical zones of India; which can lead to drastic and very functional ameliorations in the laws dealing with women prisoners in different states. The two Guests of Honor in the Inaugural event have been Dr. Ravjot Grewal, IPS, SSP Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab and Miss Anjana Bindla, Member, Advisory Board, NCW, India.
The event was graced by RGNUL’s Dean (Academics) Professor (Dr.) Naresh Vats; Dean (Research) Professor (Dr.) Kamaljit Kaur; officiating Registrar Dr. Ivneet Walia; Dr. Rachna Sharma, the Co-convenor of the Law Consultation Programme. Around hundred discussants attended the programme as an audience which led to rigorous discourse on the laws related to women prisoners. The deliberations have been made by many officials deputed by officers of Chief Secretaries of different states of India.
The Consultation Programme has recorded deliberations by the experts in four academic business sessions ‘distinctively themed’ which continued whole day, concluding into a Valedictory Session, where the recommendations given by the resource persons and recorded by the Research Team were shared with the whole house consisting of more than hundred discussants and dignitaries from NCW and RGNUL, Punjab and all the States of India. This event has marked a day in the history of Punjab, which shall lead to influential policy formulation and functional amendments in the existing laws.