Creating history by becoming the first Chief Justice of India to address Army officials and jawans in Kargil, CJI Surya Kant said "we know also that India sleeps peacefully many nights because someone in uniform, somewhere in conditions far harsher than these words can describe, has remained earnestly vigilant. Giving an important assurance to the Army jawans and officials, the head of Indian judiciary said: "You guard the nation at her frontiers. It is the duty of the nation's institutions to ensure that they guard all your interests arduously. For your courage, for your restraint, for your endurance in these heights, and for the quiet fidelity with which you serve the nation every day, we, the Indian judiciary, offer you our unshakeable reverence and vow to make Justice reach your doorstep." CJI highlighted institutional measures taken to address the concerns of the families of army personnel posted at the border. He spoke about the Veer Parivar Sahayata Yojana, a scheme launched last year during his tenure as Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority to provide free legal aid, assistance and support services to serving defence personnel, ex-servicemen, their dependent family members, and members of paramilitary forces. Providing details on the scheme's progress, the Chief Justice stated that as of December 31, 2025, nearly 14,929 beneficiaries had been assisted under the programme. He noted that a nationwide network of 438 legal services clinics had been established, including clinics across all Rajya Sainik Boards and hundreds of district-level Sainik Boards, supported by a workforce of more than 1,100 legal aid personnel. Of the 1,123 members of the legal aid workforce, 378 are drawn from defence backgrounds, including 299 para-legal volunteers Emphasising that "law must travel to the soldier", CJI Kant while detailing the importance of schemes like ‘Veer Parivar Sahayata Yojana’ emphasized that soldiers while guarding the borders, should not have to fight a second battle at home for their legal rights."While you guard the nation at her frontiers, it is the duty of the nation's institutions to ensure that they guard all your interests arduously", he addedFraming the issue as a constitutional obligation rather than a matter of benevolence, the Chief Justice referred to Article 39A of the Constitution, stating that legal aid is not charity but a commitment to ensure that access to justice does not depend on wealth, geography, or social position. On Kargil Vijay Diwas July 26 last year, Justice Surya Kant before becoming CJI had launched the ‘Veer Parivaar Sahayata Yojana 2025' a scheme to relieve soldiers from domestic legal burden. This was when for the first time after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, Supreme Court judges visited Kashmir. Justices Surya Kant, then the seniormost judge of the Supreme Court, who was Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority, and Justices PS Narasimha, Rajesh Bindal, and N Kotiswar Singh attended an event in Srinagar where the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), in collaboration with the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh and the Jammu & Kashmir Legal Services Authority, launched the Veer Parivaar Sahayata Yojana 2025. As per the Yojana, in an unprecedented step, legal assistance is being provided proactively to the families of soldiers. The new initiative was aimed at relieving Indian soldiers from the domestic legal burdens while they serve in harsh terrains and far-flung regions. The message was: You serve the country at the borders; we will take care of your family at home. Justice Kant had said members of our armed forces and their families face legal hurdles like any other citizen—whether land disputes, service entitlements, or matrimonial issues—but their unique service conditions make access to justice more difficult. "This scheme is our solemn pledge to stand beside those who protect our borders, ensuring that their rights are not left unprotected," he had said. For the Latest news, India News and breaking stories from around the world, visit Times Now for live coverage and in-depth reporting. Harish V Nair is Senior Editor (Legal) with Times Now TV. In his journalism career spanning 20 years, he has specialised in coverage of Supreme Court ... View More