Lok Sabha Question No. 1258 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-06
Subject: Implementation of Legal Aid and NALSA Schemes
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Adv. Chandra Shekhar

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1258

TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY - 06/02/2026

## IMPLEMENTATION OF LEGAL AID AND NALSA SCHEMES

## 1258. ADV. CHANDRA SHEKHAR :

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

- (a) the  progress  achieved  under  NALSA  schemes  such  as  SPRUHA  2025,  Veer  Parivar Sahayata  Yojana,  JAGRITI  2025  and  the  Human-Wildlife  Conflict  Victims  Scheme during 2025-26, including the number of beneficiaries covered (over 1.12 crore persons provided legal advice through Tele-Law), and financial utilization from the Department of Justice allocations;
- (b) the actions taken to address issues of unequal access and delays in legal aid amid reports of federalism-related challenges; and
- (c) the manner in which these initiatives align with the World Bank's emphasis on inclusive growth  through  improved  access  to  justice  and  the  IMF  2025  concerns  regarding strengthening social safety and judicial systems for resilient development?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE;  AND  MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS

(SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)

- (a) The Scheme such as SPRUHA, 2025; Veer Parivar Sahayata Yojana, 2025; JAGRITI 2025; and the Human-Wildlife Conflict Victims Scheme are implemented by NALSA as legal aid  Schemes, whereas Tele-Law is a program under the Central Sector Scheme named Designing Innovative Solution for Holistic Access to Justice (DISHA) of the Department of Justice through which 1.12 crore beneficiaries have been rendered pre-litigation advice till date.

The NALSA SPRUHA (Supporting Potential and Resilience of the Unseen, Held-back and Affected) Scheme, 2025 is a newly introduced initiative to provide comprehensive legal  and  social  support  to  prisoners,  undertrial  inmates,  and  their  dependents,  with emphasis  on  rehabilitation  and  reintegration.  It  addresses  legal,  social,  and  economic vulnerabilities through free legal aid, counselling, bail and parole assistance, linkage with welfare schemes, coordination with prison and district authorities, legal awareness, and post-release support to reduce recidivism and promote social reintegration.

The  NALSA Veer Parivar  Sahayata  Yojana,  2025,  launched  in  July  2025,  aims  to ensure timely free legal aid to defence personnel, ex-servicemen, and their dependents, particularly for property, family, consumer, and succession matters. Between July 2025 and September 2025, 5,219 beneficiaries were assisted through 417 Legal Aid Clinics at Zila Sainik Boards. During this period, 692 legal aid and outreach activities were conducted with the support of 525 Para Legal Volunteers and 355 Panel Lawyers, reflecting rapid operationalisation and expanding outreach.

The  NALSA  (JAGRITI  -  Justice  Awareness  for Grassroots Information and Transparency Initiative) Scheme, 2025, aims to strengthen grassroots legal awareness by integrating Legal Services Institutions with Local Self-Government bodies and community infrastructure. Between July 2025 and December 2025, 690 District Units and 2,129 Taluk Units were established, and over 35,000 Permanent Legal Aid Clinics were set up. A total of  35,24,711  persons  were  made aware of legal  aid  and welfare schemes. The  Scheme focused largely on issues such as POCSO, child marriage, and domestic violence, reflecting a strong focus on protection of women and children.

The NALSA Scheme for Victims of Human-Wildlife Conflict, 2025 aims to address legal, social, and economic challenges faced by affected individuals in forest-fringe and tribal areas by facilitating legal aid, awareness, compensation, and allied reliefs in line with Articles 21 and 48A of the Constitution.

The details of funds allocated by the Government for implementation of various legal aid  services  and  programmes  framed  under  the  Legal  Services  Authorities  Act,  1987, during the financial year viz. 2025-26 (upto December 2025) is as under:

Rs. in Crore

| Grants to NALSA             |   Grants Utilised by NALSA |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------|
| 200.00 (Grants-in-aid)      |                     144.65 |
| 195.84 (under LADCS Scheme) |                     194.17 |

- (b) and (c): The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) was established under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 to coordinate, monitor, and strengthen the implementation of  legal  aid  across  the  country.    NALSA  operates  through  a  decentralized  institutional framework comprising 37 State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs), 707 District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) and 2,440 Taluk Legal Services Committees (TLSCs) and works in close coordination with all States and Union Territories, in the spirit of cooperative federalism,  to  address  issues  of  unequal  access  and  delays  in  legal  aid  and  to  ensure uniform, timely, and equitable delivery of legal services, particularly to marginalized and vulnerable sections of society.

All  legal  aid  activities  and  schemes  formulated  by  NALSA  are  implemented  in accordance  with  the  provisions  of  the  Legal  Services  Authorities  (LSA)  Act,  1987. Accordingly, all eligible beneficiaries under the Act are provided access to justice through the  various  legal  aid  programmes  and  activities  undertaken  by  NALSA  which  aims  to remove economic and social barriers in access to justice for marginalized communities.

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