Important for GS Prelims- Indian Polity and Governance/Government Schemes
About DISHA
- DISHA is a technology-driven legal aid scheme implemented by the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India.
- DISHA 2.0 is funded entirely through 100% Gross Budgetary Support from the Government of India.
Key Facts
| Particular | Details |
| DISHA 1.0 Period | April 2021 – March 2026 |
| DISHA 1.0 Outlay | Rs. 250 crores |
| DISHA 2.0 Period | April 1, 2026 – March 31, 2031 |
| DISHA 2.0 Outlay | Rs. 255 crores |
| Funding Pattern | 100% Gross Budgetary Support |
| DISHA 2.0 Approved by | Union Minister of State (I/C) for Law and Justice, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal |
| Appraised by | Standing Finance Committee, chaired by DoJ Secretary Shri Niraj Verma |
| Components | Tele-Law, Nyaya Bandhu, LLLAP, VIDHI-Sanjeevani |
Key Functions/Responsibilities
- DISHA serves Article 39A (free legal aid) and is linked to Article 14 (equality before law) and Article 21 (protection of life and liberty).
- It supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG-16) on Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.
- Tele-Law offers free pre-litigation legal advice via mobile app, Toll-Free No. 14454, and portal, through 2,50,000 Common Service Centres (CSCs) run by Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs), covering 784 districts including 112 Aspirational Districts and 500 Aspirational Blocks, with Nyaya Sahayaks deployed for door-to-door assistance.
- Nyaya Bandhu connects pro-bono advocates with beneficiaries via app (iOS, Android, Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance (UMANG)), with panels in 23 High Courts and Pro-Bono Clubs (PBC) in law schools/colleges, merged with Tele-Law under “Tele-Law 2.0” (launched August 2023) for single-registration access.
- Legal Literacy and Legal Awareness Programme (LLLAP) builds legal literacy through workshops, webinars, and Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials, partnering with Ministries, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), law universities, and Prasar Bharati.
- VIDHI-Sanjeevani (new in DISHA 2.0) features a centralized Integrated Dashboard for real-time monitoring and the Nyaya Setu AI Chatbot (launched 29 March 2026, developed with BHASHINI), offering voice/text support in 22 Indian languages via Hybrid Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) architecture, targeting 50 lakh beneficiaries (2026–31).
Related Bodies/Institutions/Comparative Structures
- Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 provides the statutory basis (Section 12) for free legal aid and establishes National Legal Services Authority (NALSA)/State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs), distinct from DISHA’s Department of Justice-run structure.
- Nyaya Mitra was a sub-component of DISHA 1.0, discontinued in 2023, and is not part of DISHA 2.0.
- BHASHINI (National Language Translation Mission) is the technology partner for the Nyaya Setu chatbot.
Conclusion
DISHA is the Law Ministry’s flagship technology-driven legal aid scheme, restructured into DISHA 2.0 (2026–31, Rs. 255 crore) with four components — Tele-Law, Nyaya Bandhu, LLLAP, and the newly added VIDHI-Sanjeevani — grounded in Article 39A and Section 12 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
| This concept has been elaborately discussed in the following article of Centre Launches DISHA 2.0 to Expand Technology-Driven Access to Justice Across India |