Lok Sabha Question No. 1431 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-28
Subject: Pro Bono Legal Service
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Sushil Kumar Singh

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

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## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO -  1431

TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 28 TH  JULY, 2023

## PRO BONO LEGAL SERVICE

1431. SHRI SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH :

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

- (a) whether  the  Pro  Bono  legal  service  is  assisting  the  litigants  from  marginalized communities by offering free legal aid and advice;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  the  number  of  lawyers  registered  on  Pro  Bono  portal  for  providing  Pro  Bono Services;
- (d) whether the Government has any mechanism to assess the functioning of Pro Bono legal services and the outcome of the cases filed by the litigants under the Pro Bono legal services; and
- (e) if so, the number of cases filed, resolved and pending?

## 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)  to  (c)  The  Government launched Nyaya Bandhu (Pro-Bono Legal Services) in the year 2017 with the overarching vision to advance the culture of pro bono. The Nyaya Bandhu service aims to connect the persons entitled for free legal aid under Section 12

of  the  Legal  Services Authority Act, 1987 with the lawyers interested in providing Pro Bono Legal Services. So far,  1870  applicants  (including  marginalized  category)  have registered  on  the  Nyaya  Bandhu  mobile  application  for  availing  the  service  of  a  Pro Bono  lawyer.  (Detail  is  at  Annexure-'A').  As  on  30 th   June,  2023,  10,231  Pro  Bono advocates have registered for the scheme across the country through 27 States/UT Bar Councils. Data related to pro bono advocates are maintained State Bar Council wise.

(Detail is at Annexure- 'B'). Android,

(d) & (e) In order to avail the services of a Pro Bono lawyer, both the applicants and lawyers are required to register on the Nyaya Bandhu Mobile Application (available on iOS  and  UMANG  platform),for  availing  the  service.  Once  the  case  is registeredby an applicant, the advocate is automatically assigned by matching the fields of case category (civil/ criminal) and the court where the case is pending, duly filled by the applicant. Once the advocate accepts the request, the applicant and advocate may conduct regular in-person meetings to discuss any case related details, as required by both the parties. Department of Justice however, does not maintain the records of final outcome  of  cases  undertaken  by  the  Pro  Bono  lawyers  as  this  activity  is  performed purely on a voluntary basis.

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## Annexure-'A'

| Statement as referred to in reply to part (a) Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1431 for answering on 28.07.2023 raised by SHRI SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH, MP on Pro Bono Legal Service   | Statement as referred to in reply to part (a) Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1431 for answering on 28.07.2023 raised by SHRI SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH, MP on Pro Bono Legal Service   | Statement as referred to in reply to part (a) Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1431 for answering on 28.07.2023 raised by SHRI SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH, MP on Pro Bono Legal Service   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Statement containing number of applicants from marginalised communities under Pro Bono Legal Service (2017-2023)                                                                  | Statement containing number of applicants from marginalised communities under Pro Bono Legal Service (2017-2023)                                                                  | Statement containing number of applicants from marginalised communities under Pro Bono Legal Service (2017-2023)                                                                  |
| S. No.                                                                                                                                                                            | Applicant Eligibility Category                                                                                                                                                    | No. of Applicants Registered                                                                                                                                                      |
| 1.                                                                                                                                                                                | Member of a Scheduled Caste                                                                                                                                                       | 406                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 2.                                                                                                                                                                                | Member of a Scheduled Tribe                                                                                                                                                       | 75                                                                                                                                                                                |
| 3.                                                                                                                                                                                | Victim of trafficking in human beings or beggar as referred in Article 23 of the Constitution                                                                                     | 1                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 4.                                                                                                                                                                                | Woman                                                                                                                                                                             | 511                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 5.                                                                                                                                                                                | Child                                                                                                                                                                             | 16                                                                                                                                                                                |
| 6.                                                                                                                                                                                | Person with disability                                                                                                                                                            | 244                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 7.                                                                                                                                                                                | Person in custody                                                                                                                                                                 | 9                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 8.                                                                                                                                                                                | An industrial workman                                                                                                                                                             | 43                                                                                                                                                                                |
| 9.                                                                                                                                                                                | Victim of a mass disaster, ethnic violence, caste atrocity, flood, drought, earthquake or industrial disaster                                                                     | 6                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 10.                                                                                                                                                                               | Person with annual income less than as prescribed under law.                                                                                                                      | 167                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 11.                                                                                                                                                                               | Other (such as Senior Citizens)                                                                                                                                                   | 232                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 12.                                                                                                                                                                               | Other                                                                                                                                                                             | 160                                                                                                                                                                               |
|                                                                                                                                                                                   | TOTAL                                                                                                                                                                             | 1870                                                                                                                                                                              |

| Statement as referred to in reply to part (c) Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1431 for answering on 28.07.2023 raised by SHRI SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH, MP on Pro Bono Legal Service A State Bar Council-wise Statement containing number of advocates registered on   | Statement as referred to in reply to part (c) Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1431 for answering on 28.07.2023 raised by SHRI SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH, MP on Pro Bono Legal Service A State Bar Council-wise Statement containing number of advocates registered on   | Statement as referred to in reply to part (c) Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1431 for answering on 28.07.2023 raised by SHRI SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH, MP on Pro Bono Legal Service A State Bar Council-wise Statement containing number of advocates registered on   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Pro Bono portal for providing Pro Bono Services (2017-2023)                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Pro Bono portal for providing Pro Bono Services (2017-2023)                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Pro Bono portal for providing Pro Bono Services (2017-2023)                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| S. No.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | State Bar Councils                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | No. of advocates state Bar Council Wise                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| 1                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | 648                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 2                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim                                                                                                                                                                                                               | 264                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 3                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | Bihar                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | 591                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 4                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | Chhattisgarh                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | 341                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 5                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | Delhi                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | 815                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 6                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | Gujarat                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 186                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 7                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 382                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 8                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | Jammu & Kashmir                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 144                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 9                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | Jharkhand                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | 327                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 10                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Karnataka                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | 261                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 11                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Kerala                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | 147                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 12                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | 602                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 13                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Maharashtra & Goa                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 532                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 14                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Manipur                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 55                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| 15                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Meghalaya                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | 48                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| 16                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Odisha                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | 280                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 17                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Punjab & Haryana                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 1958                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| 18                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Rajasthan                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | 1114                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| 19                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Tamil Nadu                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 369                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 20                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Telangana                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | 183                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 21                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Tripura                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 6                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 22                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | 649                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 23                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Uttarakhand                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 154                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 24                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | West Bengal                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 154                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 25                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Andaman & Nicobar Islands                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | 15                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| 26                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Dadra & Nagar Haveli                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | 01                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| 27                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Daman & Diu                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 05                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | Total                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | 10231                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |