Legal Aid Gaps in India Justice Report 2025 and NALSA Role
Why in the news
The India Justice Report 2025 exposed weak legal aid delivery: over four in five Indians qualify, yet only 15.5 lakh people got free help in FY 2023-24.
Key facts
- Legal aid gets under 1% of the justice budget.
- Only one clinic per 163 villages; per-person spending can be as low as ₹2.
- Para-Legal Volunteers (PLVs) fell 38% during 2019-24.
| Gap | Detail |
|---|---|
| Funds | Utilisation 75% down to 59% |
| Workforce | Poor honorarium payments to PLVs in many States |
| Quality | Seen as inferior to private counsel |
| Control | State authorities need central clearance for hiring and logistics |
About NALSA
- National Legal Services Authority: statutory body, functional since 1995; Patron-in-Chief is the Chief Justice of India.
- Gives free, competent services to eligible people; supervises State (SLSAs) and District (DLSAs) authorities; runs Lok Adalats and promotes ADR.
- Section 12 covers SCs, STs, women, children, disabled persons, the poor and prisoners.
- Initiatives: LADC Scheme (2022, 610 districts), PLVs, Permanent Lok Adalats, Legal Literacy Clubs, Jail Legal Aid Clinics.
Significance
- Better budgeting, decentralisation and a stronger frontline workforce are needed; legal aid supports Article 39A.
Exam angle
- NALSA Patron-in-Chief: Chief Justice of India.
- LADC Scheme: 2022, 610 districts.