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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2353
ANSWERED ON – 12/03/2026
FREE ACCESS TO JUSTICE
2353 SHRI BHUBANESWAR KALITA:
Will the Minister of Law and Justice be pleased to state:
(a) the achievements of strengthening access to justice through Legal Services Authorities
during the last three years;
(b) the impact of legal awareness camps and programmes conducted across the country;
and
(c) the scope and outcome of the Legal Aid Defense Counsel System (LADCS) in
providing free criminal defence to the eligible beneficiaries?
ANSWER
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)
(a): The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) was constituted under the Legal
Services Authorities (LSA) Act, 1987 to provide free and competent legal services to the
weaker sections of the society including the beneficiaries covered under Section 12 of the
LSA Act, 1987, which aims to ensure that the opportunities for securing justice are not
denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities. In addition, NALSA has
also formulated various schemes for the implementation of preventive and strategic legal
service programmes, which are implemented by the Legal Services Authorities at various
levels i.e. State, District and Taluka level. Details of persons benefitted through Legal aid
and advice under various activities/programmes undertaken by Legal Services Authorities
during the last three years are as follows:-
Year Number of Beneficiaries
2023-24 15,50,164
2024-25 16,57,527
2025-26 (upto January 2026) 16,60,249
Total 48,67,940
(1)The details of cases/issues settled through Lok Adalats are as under:
Year State Lok Adalat Permanent Lok Adalat National Lok Adalat*
2023-24 12,07,103 2,32,763 8,53,42,217
2024-25 13,44,814 2,37,980 10,45,26,119
2025-26
7,24,681 2,32,940 14,84,25,050
(upto January, 2026)
Total 32,76,598 7,03,683 33,82,93,386
*Data in respect of National Lok Adalat pertains to the calendar year of 2023, 2024 and
2025.
(b): The legal awareness camps/programs are held across the country by Legal Service
Authorities in regard to various laws and schemes relating to children, labourers, victims
of disaster, SC and ST, persons suffering from disability, etc. The Legal Services
Authorities also prepare booklets and pamphlets in simple language on various laws, for
distribution amongst the people. The details of legal awareness camps/programs organized
by Legal Service Authorities across the country during the last three years are as under:
Number of Legal
No. of Persons
Year Awareness Camps /
attended
Programs organised
2023-24 4,30,306 4,49,22,092
2024-25 4,62,988 3,72,32,850
2025-26
4,91,990 4,04,59,246
(upto January 2026)
Total 13,85,284 12,26,14,188
(c): The Government of India is implementing a Central Sector Scheme namely; Legal Aid
Defense Counsel System (LADCS) Scheme through NALSA since FY 2023-24, which
aims to provide legal aid with regard to criminal cases to the beneficiaries eligible under
Section 12 of the LSA Act, 1987. As on 31st December 2025, LADC offices are functional
in 680 districts across the country. Details of cases assigned and disposed of by the Legal
Aid Defense Counsels (LADCs) since inception (FY 2023-24) are as follows:-
Year Cases Assigned Cases Disposed
2023-24 3,36,830 2,12,505
2024-25 5,32,413 3,72,750
2025-26
3,93,614 2,86,326
(upto December 2026)
Total 12,62,857 8,71,581
*****
(2)