DISHA 2.0: Arjun Ram Meghwal gives 5-year extension to justice access scheme
New Delhi, June 22
Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal has approved the continuation of the Central Sector Scheme 'Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice' restructured as DISHA 2.0 for a period of five years, said an official on Monday.
The tenure of DISHA 2.0 will run from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2031, co-terminus with the XVI Finance Commission cycle, the official said in a statement.
The Scheme has a total approved financial outlay of Rs 255 crore, to be funded entirely through 100 per cent Gross Budgetary Support of the Government of India.
The Central Sector Scheme DISHA 2.0 was appraised and recommended by the Standing Finance Committee meeting, chaired by Niraj Verma, Secretary, Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, the statement said.
DISHA 2.0 introduces a new Component, VIDHI-Sanjeevani (Vision for Integrated Delivery of Harmonised Legal Initiatives), with a Centralised Digital Platform and an AI-Powered Nyaya Setu Chatbot for Technology-Enabled Justice Delivery.
It will feature an Integrated Dashboard consolidating real-time data streams from all four components, including integration of the AI-powered multilingual Nyaya Setu Chatbot (developed with BHASHINI) for legal query resolution, data analytics, and reporting.
DISHA 2.0 retains the earlier three components, including: Tele-Law for free pre-litigation legal advice; Nyaya Bandhu for pro bono legal services by lawyers; and the Legal Literacy and Legal Awareness Programme.
DISHA 2.0 directly advances India's commitment to SDG-16 and the Viksit Bharat vision of 2047. It is aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision, as articulated at the National Conference on 'Strengthening the Legal Aid Delivery Mechanisms' on November 8, 2025, the statement said.
The Prime Minister had said that "ease of doing business" and "ease of living" would remain incomplete without "ease of justice".
Disha 2.0 reaffirms the Government of India's commitment to ensuring that no citizen is denied access to justice by reason of economic or other disabilities, as enshrined under Article 39A of the Constitution of India.
DISHA 2.0 targets to achieve a cumulative outreach of three crore beneficiaries across all four Programme Components
The erstwhile DISHA Scheme (2021-26), with a financial outlay of Rs 250 crore, was implemented by the Department of Justice on a pan-India scale.
As on May 31, 2026, the DISHA Scheme had achieved a cumulative outreach of over 2.37 crore beneficiaries, comprising 1.13 crore-plus pre-litigation legal advices under Tele-Law, 10,681 registered Pro-Bono Advocates and 109 Pro-Bono Clubs established across 31 States/UTs under Nyaya Bandhu, and outreach to 1.24 crore-plus beneficiaries under LLLAP, said the statement.
— IANS
Reader Comments
While the intent is noble, Rs 255 crore over five years seems modest for reaching 3 crore beneficiaries. Hope the funds are used efficiently and not lost in bureaucratic red tape. The Tele-Law component has shown promise in my village – people got free advice on land disputes.
It's good that the scheme is continuing but I wonder how many people actually know about it. In my area, awareness is very low. The legal literacy part should be expanded through community radio and local panchayats. Also, the chatbot should support regional languages properly. 😊
The PM's vision of 'ease of justice' is crucial. DISHA 2.0 with AI and digital dashboard sounds promising, but rural areas must have basic internet connectivity first. Also, the number of pro-bono lawyers (10,681) is too low for a country of 140 crore. We need more law students and young advocates to volunteer.
I work as a paralegal volunteer in Bihar, and the Tele-Law scheme has helped many poor families with land and family disputes without going to court. The extension to 2031 gives long-term stability. But the government should also strengthen the Lok Adalat system alongside this digital push.
Happy to see continuity in policy! The previous DISHA scheme reached 2.37 crore people which is impressive. The new AI chatbot 'Nyaya Setu' with BHASHINI support will be a game-changer for rural women who often don't know their legal rights regarding property and domestic violence. Fingers crossed! 🤞
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