The Minister of State for Law and Justice informed the Rajya Sabha about the establishment of District Legal Services Clinics by the National Legal Services Authority. These clinics, set up across India, provide free legal assistance to marginalised populations and form part of broader efforts to expand legal aid in tribal belts and rural areas.
Background
The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) was constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act 1987 to ensure that justice is not denied to any citizen due to economic or other disabilities. NALSA frames policies and programs for legal aid and coordinates legal services authorities at the state, district and taluk levels. It organises Lok Adalats to promote alternative dispute resolution.
Structure and functions
- Organisation: NALSA is headquartered at the Supreme Court in New Delhi. Each state has a State Legal Services Authority headed by the Chief Justice of the High Court. High Courts, districts and taluks have their own legal services committees to implement policies.
- Free legal services: Assistance includes paying court fees, providing lawyers, obtaining certified copies of documents, preparing appeals and translations, and other expenses related to legal proceedings.
- Eligible beneficiaries: Women and children, members of Scheduled Castes and Tribes, industrial workmen, victims of natural disasters, persons with disabilities, prisoners and persons with annual income below prescribed limits (₹1 lakh for most courts, ₹5 lakh in the Supreme Court) qualify for free legal services.
- Village Legal Care & Support Centres: Under the Legal Services Clinics Regulations 2011, District Legal Services Authorities establish legal aid centres in villages or clusters of villages to assist residents. In Odisha, 132 such centres were set up by 2025 and provided aid to thousands of people.
- Lok Adalats: NALSA organises national and district‑level Lok Adalats to resolve cases through compromise. In 2025, four National Lok Adalats were held in Odisha, and 22 Permanent Lok Adalats handle disputes involving public utility services.
Importance
- By offering free legal representation and counselling, NALSA promotes access to justice for vulnerable groups.
- Village legal clinics bring legal aid to remote areas, bridging the urban–rural divide and empowering marginalised communities.
- Lok Adalats reduce the burden on courts and provide speedy, amicable resolution of disputes.
Source: Press Information Bureau
