**Executive Summary**
This document, posted on 12 FEB 2026, details the measures undertaken by the Government of India, through the Ministry of Law and Justice, to provide affordable, quality, and speedy legal services to the common man, including persons with disabilities. It outlines the implementation of the NALSA scheme and the development of infrastructure facilities. The information was provided by Minister Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Legal Services and Support:**
* The Legal Services Authorities (LSA) Act, 1987, provides free and competent legal services to weaker sections of society, including persons with disabilities.
* NALSA is implementing a specific scheme, NALSA (Legal Services to the Mentally Ill and Persons with Intellectual Disabilities) Scheme, 2024, to address the specific needs of persons with mental illness and intellectual disabilities.
* Specialized 'Legal Services Unit for Persons with Mental Illness & Persons with Intellectual Disabilities called 'Manonyay' (LSUM)' units have been established in all States/UTs except Ladakh and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.
* **Data on Legal Services Provided:**
* The number of persons with disabilities provided legal services under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 in recent years:
* 2022-23: 5,050
* 2023-24: 11,591
* 2024-25: 8,313
* 2025-26 (up to December, 2025): 10,119
* **Infrastructure Development:**
* The Government is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme to develop infrastructure facilities for District and Subordinate Courts.
* This includes constructing Court Halls, Residential Units for Judicial Officers, Lawyers' Halls, Digital Computer Rooms, and Toilet Complexes.
* The infrastructure design must be disabled-friendly.
* **eCourts Project Phase III:**
* The eCourts Project Phase III incorporates 24 components to create a robust and accessible digital infrastructure for citizens, including persons with disabilities.
* This project allocates Rs. 27.54 crore for providing enhanced accessible ICT enabled facilities for persons with disabilities.
* Websites of 752 Courts are being migrated to the S3WaaS platform (Secure, Scalable, and Sugamya Website as a Service) to enhance website accessibility.
* S3WaaS platform includes features for easy visibility of content for partially and completely visually challenged citizens.
**Impact Analysis**
**Persons with Disabilities**
* **Impact:** Benefits from free legal services, specialized legal units, accessible infrastructure, and improved digital accessibility to legal information and court services.
* **Action Required:** Utilize available legal services and accessibility features provided.
**State Governments/UTs**
* **Impact:** Responsible for implementing infrastructure development schemes and ensuring disabled-friendly designs in court buildings.
* **Action Required:** Ensure infrastructure projects comply with accessibility standards and guidelines from relevant ministries.
**Judicial Officers and Court Staff**
* **Impact:** Need to adapt to new digital infrastructure and accessibility features to better serve persons with disabilities.
* **Action Required:** Familiarize themselves with the S3WaaS platform and other accessibility tools.
**Ministry of Law and Justice**
* **Impact:** Oversees the implementation of the various schemes and initiatives described in the document.
* **Action Required:** Continue monitoring and improving the effectiveness of the schemes to ensure equitable access to legal services.
Key Entities Referenced
Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987: Provides for free and competent legal services to weaker sections of society, including persons with disabilities.
NALSA (Legal Services to the Mentally Ill and Persons with Intellectual Disabilities) Scheme, 2024: A scheme by NALSA to ensure legal services are responsive to the needs of persons with mental illness and intellectual disabilities.
Ministry of Law and Justice: The central ministry responsible for this information and related initiatives.
S3WaaS platform: Secure, Scalable and Sugamya Website as a Service which makes websites friendly for persons with disabilities.
Ministry of Law and Justice
Measures by Government to make available
affordable, quality and speedy legal services to
the common man, including persons with
disabilities
Posted On: 12 FEB 2026 7:17PM by PIB Delhi
The Government has undertaken several measures to make available affordable, quality and speedy legal
services to the common man, including persons with disabilities. The legal Services Authorities (LSA)
Act, 1987 provides for free and competent legal services to the weaker sections of the society including
Persons with Disabilities.
NALSA is also implementing a specific Scheme for Persons with Disabilities named NALSA (Legal
Services to the Mentally Ill and Persons with Intellectual Disabilities) Scheme, 2024. This Scheme aims to
ensure that legal services are responsive to the specific legal and social needs of persons with mental
illness and persons with intellectual disabilities. Under this Scheme, specialised ‘Legal Services Unit for
Persons with Mental Illness & Persons with Intellectual Disabilities called ‘Manonyay’ (LSUM)’ units
have been established in all States/UTs except Ladakh and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.
The details of the persons with disabilities provided legal services under the Legal Services Authorities
Act, 1987 during the last three financial years and the current financial year 2025-2026 (upto
December,2025) is as under:
Financial Year Number of persons with disabilities provided
legal services
2022-23 5,050
2023-24 11,591
2024-25 8,313
2025-26 (upto December, 2025) 10,119
The Government is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for development of infrastructure
facilities for the District and Subordinate Courts by augmenting the resources of the State
Governments/UTs for construction of Court Halls, Residential Units for Judicial Officers, Lawyers’ Hall,
Digital Computer Rooms and Toilet Complexes. As per guidelines of the Scheme, the States/UTs ensures
that the proposed infrastructure have disabled-friendly design. The building design are in conformity withthe requisite norms/accessibility standards as laid down by Central Public Works Department, Department
of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, from time to
time.
Under eCourts Project Phase III, there are 24 components that have several significant measures devised
to foster the creation of a robust and accessible digital infrastructure for citizens including persons with
disabilities. Provision has been made for providing enhanced accessible ICT enabled facilities to persons
with disabilities, at a budgetary outlay of Rs. 27.54 crore, migration of websites of 752 Courts (including
High Courts) to S3WaaS platform (Secure, Scalable and Sugamya Website as a Service) that makes the
website friendly for persons with disabilities. S3WaaS platform has features for easy visibility of content
for partially and completely visually challenged citizens.
This information was given by MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE
MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha
today.
***
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