Description

The first event of the "Know Your Helplines" project was successfully conducted on 12th March 2025, focusing on raising awareness about various helplines available in India. The session was led by Rotaractors Smitha KS and Veena V Gowda. Smitha KS initiated the event by providing an overview of the evolution of helplines in India, highlighting the development of these services over the years. She then covered medical and health helplines, including the ambulance service (108), the national emergency number (112), mental health support, and HIV/AIDS helplines. Smitha also introduced the women and child safety helplines, such as the 181 women’s helpline, 1091 for domestic violence, and the 1098 child helpline. The session was handed over to Veena V Gowda, who discussed law enforcement and safety helplines, including the police helpline (100), anti-terror helpline (1090), traffic helpline (103), and road accident emergency helpline (1073). Veena then covered social security and welfare helplines, such as the elder helpline (14567), pension and social security helplines, and the national disability helpline (1800-11-55-55). She concluded with financial and legal assistance helplines, including the banking helpline (155260), cybercrime helpline (155260), national consumer helpline (1800-11-4000), and the legal service authority helpline (15100). The event received positive feedback from Rotaract members from various colleges, who expressed interest in similar future sessions. While the session was well-received, technical improvements were identified for future events.