SRINAGAR: More than 7.63 lakh people in Jammu and Kashmir have received free pre-litigation legal advice under the Tele-Law programme, the Union Government informed the Rajya Sabha, while outlining plans to further strengthen legal aid services through the newly launched DISHA 2.0 scheme.
Replying to an unstarred question by Rajya Sabha member Sat Paul Sharma, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal said the Ministry had conducted an independent third-party evaluation and impact assessment of the erstwhile DISHA Scheme (2021–26) through the Quality Council of India. The assessment found the scheme to be relevant, following which it was extended as DISHA 2.0 for the 2026–31 period across the country, including Jammu and Kashmir.
The Minister said DISHA 2.0 aims to provide easy, affordable and technology-enabled legal services through its key components, including Tele-Law, the Nyaya Bandhu Pro Bono Legal Services Programme, Legal Literacy and Legal Awareness Programme, and VIDHI–Sanjeevani.
According to the government, as of June 30, 2026, 7,63,148 pre-litigation legal advice cases had been facilitated in Jammu and Kashmir through the Tele-Law platform using Common Service Centres and a toll-free helpline. Five panel lawyers are associated with the programme in the Union Territory. The government also said eight Nyaya Sahayaks deployed across 10 Aspirational Blocks have registered 1,222 calls to strengthen legal service delivery at the grassroots.
The Centre further informed the House that 197 advocates from Jammu and Kashmir are registered under the Nyaya Bandhu Pro Bono Legal Services Programme, which connects eligible beneficiaries with volunteer lawyers through an online portal and mobile application.
The Legal Literacy and Legal Awareness Programme is being implemented through workshops, webinars and awareness campaigns in collaboration with various institutions to improve legal awareness among citizens.
The government also said VIDHI–Sanjeevani, a new component under DISHA 2.0, will introduce a centralised integrated dashboard for real-time monitoring of legal services and programme implementation. The platform is proposed to be integrated with the Nyaya Setu AI chatbot to improve service delivery and user interaction, with a target of reaching 50 lakh beneficiaries during the 2026–31 period.
