Context: As per the India Justice Report 2025, only 15.5 lakh people accessed legal aid in 2023–24, despite nearly 80% of Indians being eligible, indicating significant gaps in outreach, budget use, and service quality.

About NALSA (National Legal Services Authority)

• Established: Statutory body under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987; operational since 1995.
• Patron-in-Chief: Chief Justice of India.
• Mandate: Provide free and competent legal services to the weaker sections of society.

Key Functions of NALSA

• Formulates policy and principles for legal aid delivery.
• Supervises and funds State and District Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs and DLSAs).
• Conducts Lok Adalats and legal awareness programs.
• Promotes Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR).
• Ensures aid to SCs/STs, women, children, the disabled, the poor, and prisoners (under Section 12 of the Act).

Major Initiatives

• Legal Aid Defence Counsel (LADC) Scheme (2022): Dedicated defence lawyers in 610 districts.
• Para-Legal Volunteers (PLVs): Community legal workers for outreach and dispute resolution.
• Permanent Lok Adalats: Focus on pre-litigation and pending dispute settlement.
• Legal Literacy Clubs: Established in schools and colleges.
• Jail Legal Aid Clinics: Legal support to undertrials and convicts.
• Targeted Schemes: Aid for transgender persons, disaster victims, industrial workers, etc.

Challenges

• Low Budget Allocation: Less than 1% of justice budget; funding dropped from ?207 crore (2017–18) to ?169 crore (2022–23).
• Fund Underutilisation: Declined from 75% to 59% due to rigid norms.
• PLV Shortage: 38% drop in PLV density (2019–2024); honorariums often below minimum wage.
• Limited Access: Only 1 legal aid clinic per 163 villages; per capita spend ranges from ?2–?16.
• Service Quality Concerns: Legal aid often seen as inferior to private legal help.
• Centralised Control: SLSAs require Centre’s approval even for basic expenses.

Way Forward

• Increase Budgetary Support: Allocate at least 2–3% of justice budget for legal aid.
• Empower PLVs: Ensure minimum pay, regular training, and performance-based deployment.
• Decentralise Authority: Give DLSAs financial and operational autonomy.
• Leverage Technology: Create a national legal aid portal for tracking service delivery.
• Expand Successful Models: Scale up LADC, Lok Adalats, and targeted outreach in underserved regions.

Conclusion

NALSA is central to realizing Article 39A of the Constitution—justice for all. However, administrative, financial, and structural hurdles limit its reach and effectiveness. Prioritising robust legal aid is essential to ensure inclusive justice and uphold the rule of law.

Source: The Hindu |