Lok Sabha Question No. 3856 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-11
Subject: Legal Advice to Poors
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Guman Singh Damor

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-†3856 ANSWERED ON 11.08.2023

## LEGAL ADVICE TO POORS

## †3856.SHRI GUMAN SINGH DAMOR:

## Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there is any arrangement to provide legal aid at district level to poor person for disposal  of  pending  cases  in  the  courts  and  to  provide  legal  advice  to  the  imprisoned persons and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the criteria for establishment of research centre for doing research in the field of law and establishment of law colleges for legal education;
- (c) whether  any  proposal  regarding  establishment  of  law  college  in  the  tribal  dominated districts Alirajpur and  Jhabua  in Madhya  Pradesh  is  under  consideration  of  the Government;
- (d) if so, the time by which it is likely to be approved; and
- (e) if not, whether such a proposal is likely to be considered, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE; MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE (SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)

- (a) National  Legal  Services  Authority  (NALSA)  has  been  constituted  under  the  Legal Services Authorities (LSA) Act, 1987 to provide free and competent legal services to the weaker sections of the societyincluding beneficiaries covered under Section 12 of the Act and  to  organize  Lok  Adalats  across  the  country.  For  this  purpose,  the  legal  services

institutions  have  been  setup  from  the  Taluk  Court  level  to  the  Supreme  Court.The following  Authorities/Institutions  are  established  to  provide  free  legal  aid  to  poor  and weaker sections of the society :-

- i. National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) at National level
- ii. Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC) at Supreme Court level
- iii. 39 High Court Legal Services Committees (HCLSCs) at High Court level
- iv. 37 State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs) at State level
- v. 703 District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) at District level
- vi. 2341 Taluk Legal Services Committees (TLSCs) at Taluk level

During  last  three  financial  years  viz  2020-21,  2021-22  and  2022-23,  legal assistance provided to number of person in custodyby the Legal Services Institutions are 1,41,925,  2,36,665  and  2,89,969  respectively.  In  addition,during  1 st April  2020  to 31 st March,  2023,  NALSA  through  SLSAs  and  DLSAs  organized  30,867  Undertrial Review Committee (UTRC) meetings after which 69,734 inmates were released.NALSA also  launched  a  Campaign  namely  'Release\_UTRC@75'  from  16 th July,  2022  to  13 th August,  2022,  for  release  of  Prisoners  by  the  Under  Trial  Review  Committee  under which 37220 identified persons have been released so far.

- (b) The Legal Education Committee of the Bar Council of India (BCI) holds a distinguished and unparalleled position in regulating legal education in India. Established under Section 10(2)(b)  of  the  Advocates'  Act,  1961,  this  statutory  committee  plays  a  pivotal  role  in laying down guidelines and framing rules for the regulation and upliftment of standards in  Legal  Education  across  the  nation.  It  serves  as  the  authoritative  body  for  making decisions concerning Centers of Legal Education, including universities, law departments and law colleges,  both  for  existing  institutions  and  new  applicants  seeking  recognition and  approval  of  affiliation  from  the  BCI.  National  Law  Universities(NLUs)  and  Law

colleges  are  creation  of  State  Laws  and  are  basically  State  Universities  that  are established  by  the  State  Government  with  some  distinctive  characteristics.  The  Central Government  is  not  administratively  concerned  with  their  functioning.  However,  these NLUs and the Law colleges also undertake research in various fields of law.

(c) to (e) There is no such proposal pending with the Government.

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