Sóz Centre for Women’s Legal Assistance Launched at Bengaluru School
Bengaluru: The Sóz Centre for Legal Assistance to Women was inaugurated at Excellent English School in Bismillah Nagar, Bengaluru, marking the launch of a new initiative aimed at helping women deal with legal issues at home, at work, and in society.
The centre is an initiative of ReachLawyer Trust and functions under its Sóz programme. The programme focuses on spreading awareness about women’s legal rights and providing access to quality legal advice through a dedicated team of lawyers. ReachLawyer Trust also works to build professional skills among lawyers, especially those from marginalised and stigmatised communities.
The Sóz Centre at Excellent English School is the first of its kind under the programme. The school has extended full support to the initiative and has deputed staff to assist with its functioning. Women can approach or contact the centre on any day to seek legal clarifications and advice. The programme is especially designed for women who find it difficult to access legal support, understand their rights, or make informed choices while pursuing litigation.
The centre was inaugurated by B. T. Venkatesh, former State Public Prosecutor and founder of ReachLawyer. Addressing the gathering, Dr Benazeer Baig, founder of Excellent English School, spoke about the difficulties faced by women, particularly those from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. She said the Sóz Centre would offer legal advice on a pro bono basis and assist women in securing their rights before courts at a fractional cost.
In his address, B. T. Venkatesh spoke about the rights assured to women under various laws and the gap between legal protections and their actual use. He said that while laws are strong and provide effective safeguards, many women are unable to access them. Referring to the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, he urged women to be confident, resist abuse, and seek legal remedies.
Dr Benazeer Baig, founder and director of Raza Educational Society and Excellent English School, expressed concern over the growing challenges faced by women within families and communities. She said discrimination and abuse are often treated as everyday realities and stressed the need for more centres like Sóz. She also highlighted the school’s role in supporting and participating in the programme.
Dr Kalpana Purushottaman, a counsellor, academician, and child rights activist, spoke about the importance of women speaking up, seeking legal advice, and standing firm to protect their rights. She assured her active involvement along with support from her students for the Sóz Centre in collaboration with the school.
Advocate and activist Akhila Vidyasandra highlighted the challenges women face and underlined the need for women to assert their rights and seek legal protection.
A team of lawyers from ReachLawyer, including Aparna, Tuba Sanobar, Nitin Bubberjung, Ravi, Shankar, N. K. Vinoda, and Mubarak, along with counsellors from the Indian Institute of Psychological Research, took part in consultations and interacted with women seeking legal assistance.
The programme was well attended, with several women seeking guidance. The initiative also served as a platform for women to understand basic legal protections available to safeguard their rights.
Contact details:
Call or WhatsApp:
Nitin Bubberjung: 9036089137
Tuba Sanobar: 9689295684
Kufciya: 8884701964
Email: speak2soz@gmail.com
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Oracle lays off around 12,000 employees in India, another round likely within a month
New Delhi (PTI): US-based IT firm Oracle is believed to have laid off approximately 12,000 staff in India, with another round of layoffs expected within a month, impacted employees said on Tuesday.
Globally, the company has fired around 30,000 employees.
"In India, around 12,000 employees have been laid off. The company is planning another mass layoff within a month," said two people impacted by the retrenchment, including one from the company's human resource department.
The company has approximately 30,000 employees in India, including those affected by the layoffs.
Oracle declined to comment on the development.
Oracle, in an email sent to staff, said the employees were informed about certain organisational changes and "because of these changes, a decision has been taken to streamline the operations, and as a result, unfortunately, the position you currently hold will become redundant".
The company has offered 15 days' salary to each employee who has completed a year of service in India, in addition to one month of unpaid wages till termination date, leave encashment, gratuity based on eligibility and pay for a one-month notice period.
Oracle has also offered a two-month salary as a top-up.
However, the severance package is available for those who voluntarily and amicably resign from the company.
An ex-employee of Oracle, Merugu Sridhar, said that he was laid off in September for protesting against the 16-hour work shift that the company has in India.
"I contacted my friends and those who are in human resources. They shared that most of the Indians working in the US with the company have been impacted because the local laws there are very strict when it comes to the retrenchment of their citizens," Sridhar said.
