IDIA Charitable Trust

IDIA (Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access to Legal Education) project is a nationwide movement that aims to empower underprivileged and marginalized communities in India by transforming students from such communities into world-class lawyers and community leaders. The organisation provides access to quality legal information and education to the underprivileged and underrepresented communities hoping that it will allow them to help themselves and their communities, in the long run.
 

IDIA was founded in 2010 by Professor (Dr.) Shamnad Basheer with Trustees - Mr. Shishira Rudrappa (Managing Trustee of IDIA), Supreme Court Justice (Mrs.) Ruma Pal and Professor (Dr.) MP Singh.

Today, IDIA has a Pan-India presence with 27 chapters across 22 states including an exclusive central vertical for students with disabilities.

For the past 12 years, IDIA has been sending 10-12 scholars from marginalised communities to various top National Law Universities and law colleges. We provide holistic support to these students from the start of their training for law entrance examinations till they graduate after getting admissions. IDIA program gives them an opportunity to change their futures and also contribute to their families and communities.

Here are some glimpses of our successes:

1. At the NLSIU’s Convocation for their 2020 batch, IDIA Scholar got Rank 1 and 18 Gold Medals, which was unprecedented in the history of this college.
2. India will have her first judge with visual impairment because of IDIA’s policy work.
3. Students with visual impairment can write CLAT exams with scribes and extra time because of IDIA’s intervention.
4. We have sensitised more than 60,000+ students and their communities about law and legal education.
5. In 2020, amidst the pandemic, All India CLAT Ranks 3, 5 and 48 were IDIA Scholars.