Founded on 4th February 2009 in Kasaragod, Kerala, SIGN is a registered development society dedicated to advancing the socio-economic, legal, and political dignity of historically marginalized SC/ST, OBC, and vulnerable populations.
SIGN A NEW VISION OF SOCIAL JUSTICE FOR SC/ST was established in 2009 under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 (Registration No: 48/2009). Over the past 16 years, SIGN has evolved from a targeted tribal advocacy initiative into a premier community-centred development institution in North Kerala.
Our operational methodology bridges the gap between constitutional guarantees and grassroots reality. We work in the remotest forest settlements of Kasaragod, Vellarikkundu, and Malom to ensure that Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes (OBC), rural women, children, youth, elderly citizens, and persons with disabilities attain access to dignity, self-determination, and economic security.
"SIGN believes in grassroots-level democracy and constitutional values for economic and social development, ensuring long-term empowerment and self-reliance of vulnerable populations."
"To reach out to marginalised sections of society (especially SC/ST communities, women, children, and youth in rural areas) to support them in achieving a dignified life and holistic development."
Every policy, field deployment, and financial allocation is anchored in these six foundational tenets.
Cultivating shared civic brotherhood, breaking down caste hierarchies, and building inclusive solidarity across all community strata.
Securing equal access to state resources, education, institutional credit, and dignified civil standing under Article 14 of the Constitution.
Total statutory and fiscal openness with verifiable audit trails, public registration disclosures, and donor accountability.
Honoring indigenous worldviews, tribal self-governance, women's agency, and traditional ecological knowledge without paternalism.
Empowering collective bargaining through Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Joint Liability Groups (JLGs), and Farmer Cooperatives.
An unbroken 16-year record of integrity acknowledged by Kerala Government missions, NABARD, MSME-DI, and local Panchayats.
SIGN directs 100% of grassroots interventions, institutional resources, and community organising toward six vulnerable beneficiary strata.
Primary Mandate
Indigenous forest-dwelling tribes (Mavilan, Malavettuvan, Koraga) and Scheduled Caste settlements securing formal land title deeds, civil defense against atrocities, and quality sanitation housing.
Economic Agency
Empowering marginalized women through Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Joint Liability Groups (JLGs), micro-finance credit links with NABARD, and home-based MSME enterprise incubation.
Zero-Dropout Guarantee
Over 850 children supported through 25 decentralized Children's Neighbourhood Groups (CNG), receiving evening tutoring, nutritional supplements, career mentoring, and emotional guidance.
Food Sovereignty
Revitalizing Kerala's agrarian sovereignty via Bakshya Arogya Swaraj Farmers' Clubs. Supporting smallholders with organic vermicompost, indigenous seed preservation, and zero-pesticide tools.
Skills & Enterprise
Conducting adult literacy, smartphone digital banking classes across 125 village centers, and vocational upskilling to liberate casual rural labourers from predatory debt cycles.
Social Welfare
Dedicated social welfare assistance, assistive device distribution, legal advocacy for social security pension delivery, and humanitarian care for Endosulfan-affected households in Kasaragod.
Building local leadership and democratic participation among vulnerable rural hamlets.
Incubating sustainable livelihoods and home-based production units for rural women and youth.
Equipping agrarian smallholders with climate-resilient tools, drip systems, and organic practices.
Balancing ecological conservation with permanent socio-economic self-sufficiency.
Documenting oral histories, reviving indigenous folklore, music, and ethnomedicinal heritage.
Preserving Western Ghats river basins, afforestation drives, and anti-pesticide advocacy.
Free constitutional counsel for women, children, and victims of caste atrocity or land alienation.
Targeted social security access, assistive devices, and geriatric medical support in rural areas.
Active consultation with district collectorates, Kerala Legislative committees, and Grama Panchayats.
Interventions are never imposed from above; solutions are co-created with tribal Ooru sabhas, women's groups, and village elders.
Direct geographic and socio-economic concentration in Kasaragod's most distressed BPL pockets, including Endosulfan-impacted hamlets.
Structuring federated Community-Based Organizations to ensure sustainable self-management long after direct project cycles conclude.
Operating 25 active Children's Neighbourhood Units providing nutrition, study aids, and zero-dropout monitoring for first-generation learners.
Continuous field documentation and empirical baseline surveys mapping rural debt cycles, child nutritional markers, and agrarian distress.
Strategic institutional alliances with NABARD, MSME-DI Thrissur, Kerala Agricultural University, and state welfare missions.
Presenting white papers and legislative submissions to safeguard Scheduled Tribe forest land titles and agrarian welfare subsidies.
SIGN operates with a specialized, multi-sector cadre combining academic rigor with deep grassroots cultural fluency.
Socio-economic mapping & community stratification analysis
Micro-enterprise design, MSME incubation & market linkages
Trauma recovery for Endosulfan victims & youth counseling
Watershed management, organic farming & Western Ghats ecology
Land rights restoration, SC/ST Act defense & women's legal aid
Community maternal care, sanitation & palliative relief
Tribal language preservation & peer health educators
Resident animators in Malom, Vellarikkundu & tribal hamlets
Rooted in the community, verified by statutory oversight.
Pioneered the founding vision of SIGN in 2009. Spearheaded women-led self-help micro-enterprises and steered the Tribal Rehabilitation Development Mission (TRDM) in Kasaragod with the Government of Kerala.
Leads statewide statutory compliance, institutional alliances with NABARD and MSME-DI, financial management, and field operations for 125 village literacy centers and 25 CNG children's units.
"We hereby confirm that all information provided above is true and correct to the best of our knowledge. The organisation is fully committed to working for social justice, empowerment, and sustainable development of SC/ST communities and all marginalised groups in Kerala."
BPW.VII/129, Darkas P.O, Malom, Vellarikkundu Via, Kasaragod District, Kerala - 671534
Tel: 0467 2940620 | Email: signkerala@gmail.com | Web: www.signkerala.org
• Girija C.C - Founder & Chairperson (+91 6282278735)
• Sumithlal P.M - Co-Founder & General Secretary (+91 956212750)
1. TRDM: Tribal Rehabilitation Development Mission (Govt. of Kerala, 2009-2013) - Official implementing agency for tribal resettlement in Kasaragod.
2. NABARD SHG/JLG: Formation of micro-credit and enterprise groups for SC/ST and rural women.
3. 25 Children's Neighbourhood Groups (CNG): Academic guidance and zero-dropout monitoring for BPL students.
4. MSME-DI Thrissur: EAP, EDP, ESDP training for women entrepreneurs.
5. 125 Village Literacy Classes: Basic, digital, economic, and banking literacy.
6. Bakshya Arogya Swaraj: All Kerala Food Sustainability Program & organic farming.
