The Ministry of Law and Justice extended the DISHA Scheme as DISHA 2.0 for pan-India legal aid for five years (2026–31), using an independent third-party evaluation-cum-impact assessment for the erstwhile DISHA Scheme (2021–26). DISHA 2.0 is positioned as technology-enabled, people-centric legal services delivered through multiple components—Tele-Law, Nyaya Bandhu, legal literacy programmes, and VIDHI Sanjeevani’s centralized monitoring dashboard—with explicit inclusion of Jammu & Kashmir.
What happened
The Ministry of Law and Justice conducted an independent third-party evaluation-cum-impact assessment study of the erstwhile DISHA Scheme (2021–26) through M/s Quality Council of India (QCI), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Based on the evaluation, DISHA was extended as DISHA 2.0 for 2026–31 for pan India implementation, including Jammu & Kashmir.
Background and earlier position
The erstwhile DISHA Scheme (2021–26) focused on improving access to legal services using technology-enabled and people-centric delivery channels. Under the DISHA framework, the programme design integrates telephonic and app-based pre-litigation legal advice, structured referral/pro bono support, and legal literacy—supported by monitoring mechanisms.