Non-lawyers do not need a law degree, but most working adults in India now need some law for their job or their home. HR managers need POSH and the new Labour Codes, founders need data protection and contracts, teachers need POSH and basic rights, journalists need defamation and research skills, and every household needs everyday law on FIRs, consumer complaints, fraud and inheritance. A short, tested course in the one area you actually use is the most efficient route.
| Point | Position |
|---|---|
| HR managers and People teams | POSH Act 2013 and the four Labour Codes (in force 21 November 2025) |
| Startup founders and small businesses | DPDP Act 2023 and Rules 2025; contracts and notices |
| Homemakers, senior citizens, tenants | Everyday law: FIR, consumer, bank fraud, tenancy, inheritance, maintenance |
| Teachers and school staff | Legal literacy and POSH |
| Journalists and content writers | Defamation, research and citation skills |
| Government job aspirants | BNS, BNSS and BSA (in force 1 July 2024) |
| What a course gives you | Knowledge and a certificate of completion, not a right to practise law |
HR managers: POSH and the Labour Codes
If you work in HR, two areas will land on your desk sooner or later.
- POSH. The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 requires every workplace with 10 or more employees to constitute an Internal Committee (s.4), with a senior woman employee as Presiding Officer, at least half the members women, and one external member. A complaint can be made within 3 months (extendable by 3 months) under s.9, the inquiry must be completed within 90 days (s.11(4)), and the employer must act on the report within 60 days (s.13). Non-compliance can attract a penalty of up to ₹50,000 (s.26). In Aureliano Fernandes v. State of Goa (2023), the Supreme Court stressed proper constitution of committees and training.
- Labour Codes. The Code on Wages 2019, Industrial Relations Code 2020, Code on Social Security 2020 and OSH Code 2020 came into force on 21 November 2025, replacing 29 laws. Appointment letters, wage structures, gratuity (now under Chapter V of the Social Security Code) and full and final settlement within two working days of exit (s.17(2), Code on Wages) all need fresh attention.
Best fit: POSH Law (Internal Committee training), ₹499.
Startup founders and small businesses: DPDP and drafting
Ankit runs a 12-person D2C brand in Jaipur. He collects customer names, phone numbers and addresses every day. Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, read with the DPDP Rules 2025, most substantive duties (notice, consent, security safeguards, breach intimation, data principal rights) apply from 13 May 2027. Penalties go up to ₹250 crore for failing to take reasonable security safeguards. The Act also covers data collected offline and later digitised.
Founders also sign vendor contracts, send and receive legal notices, and prepare affidavits for registrations. Knowing what a clean clause, a clear notice and a correct affidavit look like saves money on every lawyer interaction, because you brief better.
Best fit: Data Protection Law: DPDP Act 2023 and DPDP Rules 2025, ₹599, and Legal Drafting, ₹499.
Learn this properly, with a certificate. If you are not in HR or business, start with everyday law: FIR and arrest rights, consumer complaints, bank and cyber fraud, tenancy, inheritance, work rights, RTI and senior citizens, in 8 modules written for non-lawyers. Everyday Law for Every Indian: Know Your Rights, ₹349: self-paced lessons, module quizzes and a 30-question final test; pass at 60% for a verifiable Lexfolio certificate.
Homemakers, senior citizens and tenants: everyday law
This group faces the most common legal problems and gets the least help. Typical questions:
- The landlord in Lucknow will not return the deposit. (UP’s 2021 tenancy law caps residential deposits at two months’ rent.)
- A son has stopped supporting his 70-year-old father. (The Senior Citizens Act 2007 allows maintenance up to ₹10,000 per month through the Maintenance Tribunal; Elderline 14567.)
- A wife and children are not being maintained. (s.144 BNSS, with no upper ceiling on the amount.)
- Money vanished through a UPI scam. (1930 and cybercrime.gov.in immediately, then the bank.)
- Who gets the house after father’s death without a will. (Hindu Succession Act 1956, s.8: son, daughter, widow and mother share equally as Class I heirs.)
Best fit: Everyday Law (English), ₹349 or Everyday Law (Hindi), ₹299.
Teachers, journalists and government job aspirants
Teachers. Schools are workplaces, so the POSH Act applies to staff. Teachers are also often the first adults children and parents turn to with a problem. Basic legal literacy (child helpline 1098, legal aid helpline 15100, how an FIR works) helps you guide them correctly. Best fit: Everyday Law, plus POSH Law for staff on the Internal Committee.
Journalists and content writers. Defamation is now an offence under s.356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, and it remains a civil wrong too. Writers also need to read judgments, cite them correctly and avoid misreporting. Best fit: Legal Research and Research Paper Writing, ₹499, which covers finding, reading and citing legal sources.
Government job aspirants. Police, judiciary support, prosecution and many state-level exams now test BNS, BNSS and BSA, which replaced IPC, CrPC and the Evidence Act on 1 July 2024. Best fit: New Criminal Laws: BNS, BNSS and BSA, ₹499.
How to choose without wasting money
- Write down the one legal problem you face most at work or at home.
- Pick the single course that covers it. Do not buy a bundle “just in case”.
- Finish it, take the test and keep the certificate ID for your CV or LinkedIn.
- Remember the limit: the certificate shows you learnt the subject. It does not let you practise law or give legal advice as a profession. For serious matters, consult an advocate.
All options are on the certificate courses page.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a law background to take these courses?
No. Everyday Law, POSH Law and DPDP courses are written for non-lawyers, in plain language with examples.
Can an HR manager be a member of the Internal Committee without a law degree?
Yes. The POSH Act does not require IC members to be lawyers. It does require the right composition, and training is strongly advised.
Is a Hindi option available?
Yes. Everyday Law is available in Hindi for ₹299.
Will the certificate help in my job?
It helps most when it matches your role, for example POSH for HR or DPDP for a product or compliance role. It is a certificate of completion issued by Lexfolio, not a professional qualification.
When do the main DPDP obligations apply?
Most substantive obligations under the DPDP Rules 2025 apply from 13 May 2027, 18 months after notification.
Quick quiz
Q1. An Internal Committee under the POSH Act is mandatory for workplaces with how many employees?
- 5 or more
- 10 or more
- 20 or more
- 50 or more
Show answer
Answer: B. Section 4 of the POSH Act 2013 applies to workplaces with 10 or more employees.
Q2. Under which provision is criminal defamation now punishable?
- s.499 IPC
- s.356 BNS
- s.173 BNSS
- s.66A IT Act
Show answer
Answer: B. Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 replaced ss.499 and 500 IPC.
Q3. What is the maximum monthly maintenance a Tribunal can order under the Senior Citizens Act 2007?
- ₹5,000
- ₹10,000
- ₹25,000
- No limit
Show answer
Answer: B. Section 9(2) caps maintenance at ₹10,000 per month.
Not sure where to start? Begin with Everyday Law for Every Indian, ₹349.
Sources
- Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013, ss.4, 9, 11, 13 and 26
- Aureliano Fernandes v. State of Goa (2023), Supreme Court
- Code on Wages 2019, s.17(2); Code on Social Security 2020, Chapter V
- Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 and DPDP Rules 2025
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, s.356
- Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023, s.144
- Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007, s.9
- Hindu Succession Act 1956, s.8
- Uttar Pradesh Regulation of Urban Premises Tenancy Act 2021
- Advocates Act 1961, ss.29 and 33
This page is for education and general information, not legal advice for a specific case. Law as on 29 October 2026.
Useful books for this topic
- Bare acts of the new criminal laws (BNS, BNSS, BSA)
- Code of Civil Procedure bare act
- Legal drafting and conveyancing books
- Constitution of India (coat pocket edition)
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