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The Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice commemorated the milestone of crossing 9 lakh beneficiaries under its Tele-Law programme recently.
What is Tele-Law?
- Tele-Law means the use of communications and information technology for the delivery of legal information and advice.
- This e-interaction between lawyers and people would be through the video-conferencing infrastructure available at the CSCs.
- The concept of Tele-Law is to facilitate delivery of legal advice through a panel of lawyers stationed at the state Legal Services Authorities (SALSA) and CSC.
About Tele-Law programme
- The Tele-Law initiative was launched on April 20, 2017 in collaboration with The Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice & the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) with an aim to provide legal advice in the villages through CSCs.
- A Pilot project started in 1800 CSCs in 11 States in UP, Bihar, North Eastern States and UT of Jammu and Kashmir.
- The programme connects the disadvantaged and needy seeking legal advice from Panel Lawyers through the e-interface platform available in Common Service Centres(CSC).
- The Department of Justice has partnered with NALSA and CSC e-Governance Service India Limited(of MeitY) for mainstreaming legal aid to the marginalised communities through Common Services Center (CSC).
- In 2019, 115 Aspirational Districts were added taking the number of CSCs to 29,860.
- As of 2021, Tele-Law is operational in 633 districts in 34 States/UTs covering 50,000 CSCs.
- To ensure seamless penetration in remote geographical hinterlands for better beneficiary coverage, the Department of Justice has also developed Tele-Law Mobile App for PLVs.
- Under this programme, smart technology of video conferencing, telephone /instant calling facilities are available at the vast network of Common Service Centres at the Panchayat level.
- A dedicated website on Tele-Law is maintained by the Department of Justice which has been designed with support from CSC eGovernance and has been translated into 22 languages.
- Tele-law programme’s success is dependent on the working of field functionaries comprising Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs), Para Legal Volunteers (PLVs), State Coordinators and Panel Lawyers.
- Tele-Law is rightly moving in the direction of legal empowerment and in connecting the last mile through technology which is well documented in the booklet “Voices of the Beneficiaries”.
Its benefits
- Integrating smart technology through tele and video conferencing, Tele Law has mainstreamed legal aid to the marginalized by connecting them with a dedicated pool of Panel Lawyers either free of cost if so entitled or at nominal fees.
- This medium was extensively used by common citizens for asserting their rights and entitlements during the Covid Pandemic.
- Tele Law service enables anyone to seek legal advice without wasting precious time and money.
- The service is free for those who are eligible for free legal Aid as mentioned under Section 12 of Legal Services Authority Act, 1987.
- For all others a nominal fee of INR 30 Rs is charged.
Source: PIB
