(Source: The Hindu Editorial)
⚖️ Key Issues:
Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 aims to provide free legal aid to 80% of India’s population. But in 2023-24, only 15.5 lakh people received aid—far less than the scale required. Legal aid remains highly underfunded, underutilized, and suffers from poor infrastructure and human resource availability.
📊 Budget and Funding Gaps:
Legal aid accounts for less than 1% of the total justice budget (police, prisons, judiciary). From ₹601 crore (2017-18) to ₹1,086 crore (2022-23) across 25 states—growth due to court fee waivers and grants. NALSA’s own budget fell from ₹207 crore to ₹169 crore over the same period. Utilization rate dropped from 75% to 59%.
🧑⚖️ Para-Legal Volunteers (PLVs):
Crucial in bridging the gap between citizens and legal systems. Number of PLVs dropped sharply: from 63,000 (2019-20) to 53,000 (2023-24), and active PLVs halved to 22,000. States reluctant to pay even ₹250–₹750 per day to PLVs. Kerala is the only state paying ₹750/day. Most others offer below or no payment.
🧾 Systemic Challenges:
Spending caps: SLAS barred from spending NALSA funds on basic needs like rent, vehicles, or outsourced staff. Inconsistent quality: Legal aid system lacks monitoring, accountability, and fails to meet constitutional promises of justice. Shortage of trained staff and active volunteers weakens outreach, especially in rural/tribal areas.
🧩 New Initiatives:
In 2022, LADC (Legal Aid Defence Counsel) launched to provide defence to poor accused persons. Operating in 610+ districts, ₹200 crore was used in 2023-24, but allocation fell to ₹147.9 crore in 2024-25. The scheme is promising but still in early stages.
✅ Conclusion:
Without sufficient investment in manpower and resources, India’s legal aid system will fail to deliver justice equitably. To meet constitutional ideals, urgent reforms in funding, training, and service delivery are needed.
