The Union Government has extended the DISHA Scheme as DISHA 2.0 for another five years (2026–31), with Jammu and Kashmir among the beneficiaries, after an independent evaluation found the programme effective in expanding access to legal services.
Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal said the Ministry of Law and Justice had commissioned an independent third-party evaluation-cum-impact assessment of the erstwhile DISHA Scheme (2021–26) through the Quality Council of India (QCI).
The assessment highlighted the relevance of the scheme, leading to its extension for nationwide implementation.
The DISHA 2.0 scheme seeks to provide accessible, affordable, technology-enabled and people-centric legal services through its four components—Tele-Law, Nyaya Bandhu (Pro Bono Legal Services), the Legal Literacy and Legal Awareness Programme, and VIDHI (Vision for Integrated Delivery of Harmonised Legal Initiatives) – Sanjeevani.
The minister said that under the Tele-Law programme, people can obtain pre-litigation legal advice from panel lawyers through a mobile application, the toll-free number 14454, and video or teleconferencing facilities available at Common Service Centres (CSCs) at the panchayat level.
As of June 30, 2026, a total of 7,63,148 pre-litigation legal consultations had been provided in Jammu and Kashmir by five panel lawyers through the CSC network. In addition, eight Nyaya Sahayaks working across 10 Aspirational Blocks had registered 1,222 calls to facilitate legal service delivery.
Under the Nyaya Bandhu programme, which provides free legal assistance to eligible beneficiaries through registered pro bono advocates, 197 advocates from the Bar Council of Jammu and Kashmir had enrolled as of June 30, 2026.
The Legal Literacy and Legal Awareness Programme aims to strengthen legal awareness through workshops, webinars, IEC campaigns and collaborations with government departments and institutions.
The minister said VIDHI–Sanjeevani, a new component under DISHA 2.0, will introduce a centralised integrated dashboard to monitor programme implementation and service delivery in real time. The platform will also be integrated with the Nyaya Setu AI chatbot to provide AI-enabled legal assistance and improve user interaction.
According to the ministry, the VIDHI–Sanjeevani initiative is expected to reach 50 lakh beneficiaries across the country during the 2026–31 implementation period.
About The Author
