Thiruvananthapuram: In a landmark development addressing a long-neglected area of social justice, the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has formally launched Project SPRUHA – an initiative designed to support the innocent dependants of incarcerated individuals, including children, spouses, elderly parents, and persons with disabilities.
Conceived at the District Level, Elevated to the National Stage
The project, titled SPRUHA (Supporting Potential and Resilience of the Unseen, Held-back and Affected), was originally conceived by Ms Ehteda Mufassir, an IAS officer of 2024 batch, currently serving as Assistant Collector, Kannur, Kerala.
What began as a district-level intervention has now transformed into a national-level initiative, following an exceptionally swift three-month progression through multiple layers of governance.
The initiative received official backing from-
- District Legal Services Authority (DLSA)
- Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KELSA)
- National Legal Services Authority (NALSA)
- Government of Kerala (GoK), particularly the Department of Women and Child Development
Official Launch by Justice Surya Kant
Project SPRUHA was officially launched on August 30, 2025, at the Regional Conference organized by NALSA in Thiruvananthapuram. The launch was presided over by Justice Surya Kant, Hon’ble Executive Chairman of NALSA, who lauded the initiative for filling a critical policy void and embodying the compassionate spirit of public service.
A Holistic and Multidimensional Support Framework
SPRUHA aims to reduce deprivation, stigma, and social exclusion faced by families and dependants of prisoners – a group often overlooked in the criminal justice ecosystem. The project offers-
- Legal Aid
- Psychosocial Counselling
- Educational Support for Children
- Financial Relief
- Reintegration Services and Rehabilitation Planning
By integrating these services, the project bridges the gap between punitive legal systems and the unmet humanitarian needs of innocent dependants.
Visionary Leadership Behind the Initiative
The vision for SPRUHA emerged from Ms Mufassir’s sensitivity to the invisible suffering of families affected by incarceration – particularly women, children, and the elderly. Her determined advocacy and administrative acumen enabled the project’s rapid institutionalisation across legal and governmental platforms.
Her proposal was presented before the Chief Secretary and senior Secretaries of the Kerala Government, and with the active involvement of the Department of Women and Child Development, the project soon gained momentum beyond the district level.
Closing a Critical Policy Gap
Project SPRUHA is a pioneering step in acknowledging that justice must be restorative, not just retributive. While the justice system holds individuals accountable for crimes, SPRUHA ensures that their innocent dependants are not further victimised by poverty, social exclusion, or administrative neglect.
By offering a compassionate, coordinated response, the initiative is a model for empathetic governance, setting a national precedent for inclusive legal-social frameworks.
