- Why in news
- On 20 September 2026 the Department of Justice announced a DISHA 2.0 Regional Workshop at IIULER, Goa, on 21 September 2026. It will showcase Tele-Law, Nyaya Bandhu and the Nyaya Prabodh legal literacy campaign.
- What it is
- DISHA (Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice) is a Department of Justice scheme to make justice easier to reach. It brings together Tele-Law, Nyaya Bandhu pro bono services and legal literacy and awareness programmes. It links to Article 39A (equal justice and free legal aid) and to the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
- Implementing department
- The Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, runs the scheme and is organising the Goa workshop.
- Components named
- The release names Tele-Law, Nyaya Bandhu, Legal Literacy and Legal Awareness Programmes, and VIDHI-Sanjeevani as initiatives of the Department.
- Delivery partners
- Tele-Law reaches people through Common Service Centres, using Village Level Entrepreneurs, Panel Lawyers and Nyaya Sahayaks.
- Nyaya Bandhu
- Law schools take part in the Nyaya Bandhu Pro Bono Legal Services Programme, which promotes pro bono legal service by students and young lawyers.
- Nyaya Prabodh campaign
- The 'Know Your Rights in 90 Seconds' reels campaign aims to improve legal literacy; a slogan competition will be launched.
- Outlay and type
- DISHA 2.0 is a Central Sector Scheme with an outlay of Rs 255 crore for 2026-31, implemented pan India.
- Four components
- Tele-Law, Nyaya Bandhu, Legal Literacy and Legal Awareness Programme, and VIDHI-Sanjeevani.
- Tele-Law access
- Pre-litigation advice from panel lawyers through a mobile app, toll-free number 14454 and video facilities at Common Service Centres run by Village Level Entrepreneurs.
- VIDHI-Sanjeevani
- A centralised integrated dashboard to monitor the scheme, to be linked with the Nyaya Setu AI chatbot. It targets 50 lakh beneficiaries over 2026-31 with no state-specific targets.
Don’t confuse with DISHA vs NALSA: DISHA is a Department of Justice scheme. NALSA is the statutory body under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, which oversees legal aid.
Don’t confuse with Tele-Law vs Nyaya Bandhu: Tele-Law gives legal advice through CSCs. Nyaya Bandhu connects pro bono lawyers and law students with those needing help.
Don’t confuse with DISHA 2.0 vs NALSA legal aid: NALSA and the legal services authorities under the 1987 Act give free legal aid through statutory bodies. DISHA is a Department of Justice scheme using technology, Tele-Law and pro bono advocates.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Supports the constitutional goal of equal access to justice (Article 39A) for remote and underserved people.
- Technology and pro bono work lower the cost and distance barriers to legal help.
- Gives practical effect to Article 39A by taking free legal advice to panchayat level through CSCs.
- Uses technology and AI in 22 languages to reduce barriers of distance, language and cost for the marginalised.
Problems
- Digital divide and low legal awareness limit reach in remote areas.
- Pro bono participation depends on voluntary lawyers and students, and quality can vary.
- Digital divide, weak connectivity and low legal awareness may limit reach among the poorest.
- Pro bono work is voluntary, so quality and availability of advocates vary, and AI advice carries accuracy risks.
Way forward
- Strengthen links with legal services authorities and CSCs, and track outcomes of advice given.
- Expand legal literacy in local languages and train more paralegals.
- Use the VIDHI-Sanjeevani dashboard to track outcomes, not only numbers served, and publish the data.
- Strengthen Nyaya Sahayaks and links with legal services authorities, with regular audit of AI chatbot answers.
Put in your answer
Constitutional basis: Article 39A directs the State to ensure equal justice and free legal aid.
Tech-enabled legal help: Tele-Law and Nyaya Sahayaks show how technology can bridge the gap between citizens and justice institutions, especially in remote areas.
Article 39A: Constitutional basis of free legal aid and equal justice, a Directive Principle.
Nyaya Setu chatbot: Hybrid Retrieval-Augmented Generation design grounds answers in statutory texts to reduce AI hallucination.
- 2023Mains GS2 · Q2Entitlement to free legal aid and NALSA's role in providing it.
- 2013Prelims Q71Statements on NALSA's objective and guidelines to State Legal Services Authorities.
- 2020Prelims Q9Which citizen groups get free legal services from Legal Services Authorities?
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Statements
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements:
- 1.DISHA 2.0 is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme in which the States share the cost with the Centre.
- 2.Under the Tele-Law component, people can get pre-litigation legal advice from panel lawyers through a mobile app, a toll-free number and video facilities at Common Service Centres.
- 3.Article 39A of the Constitution, which provides for equal justice and free legal aid, is a Directive Principle of State Policy.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
True or false?
1 of 7
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.DISHA 2.0 is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme in which States share the cost.
False. It is a Central Sector Scheme, fully funded by the Centre.
2.DISHA 2.0 has an approved outlay of Rs 255 crore for the period 2026-31.
True. Outlay is Rs 255 crore for 2026-31.
3.Tele-Law provides free pre-litigation advice through Common Service Centres and a toll-free number.
True. Tele-Law uses a mobile app, toll-free 14454 and CSC video facilities.
4.Nyaya Bandhu provides pro bono legal services to groups covered under Section 12 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
True. Section 12 of the LSA Act, 1987 defines those entitled to free legal services.
5.VIDHI-Sanjeevani sets state-wise targets for reaching 50 lakh beneficiaries.
False. It has an overall target of 50 lakh beneficiaries and no state-specific targets.
6.VIDHI-Sanjeevani is a centralised integrated dashboard to monitor the scheme.
True. It is a dashboard for monitoring, linked to the Nyaya Setu chatbot.
7.Article 39A of the Constitution, which provides for equal justice and free legal aid, is a Directive Principle of State Policy.
True. Article 39A, inserted by the 42nd Amendment, is in Part IV.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Mains practice
10 marks · 150 words
The Centre has approved DISHA 2.0, a Rs 255 crore Central Sector Scheme for 2026-31 that uses technology such as Tele-Law, Nyaya Bandhu and an AI chatbot to widen access to justice. Examine the provisions of the scheme and discuss the challenges in making access to justice real for marginalised groups in India.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.