Context:
Legal Literacy and Legal Awareness Program (LLLAP) of the Department of Justice reaches more than 6 lakh people through 14 implementing agencies under the DISHA scheme.
Relevance:
GS II: Government Policies and Interventions
Legal Literacy and Legal Awareness Program
Initiation and Focus:
- Launched by the Department of Justice (DoJ), Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India since 2012.
- Implementation in North Eastern States (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura) and UT of Jammu & Kashmir.
- Major focus on legal empowerment of communities, dissemination of simplified Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials in local languages, and capacity development of Panchayati Raj Functionaries and Village Chiefs.
Aim and Duration:
- Aimed at empowering the poor and disadvantaged sections of society to seek and demand justice services.
- Program named ‘Designing Innovating Solutions and Holistic Access to Justice (DISHA)’ formulated for the period 2021 to 2026.
Objectives:
- Technology Integration:
- Utilize technology for enhanced delivery of legal literacy, Knowledge Products, and implementation of innovative and holistic ideas.
- Mainstreaming Legal Literacy:
- Forge partnerships across Ministries, allied Departments, Institutions, and Schools to mainstream legal literacy.
- Capacity Building:
- Build and enhance the capacities of existing grassroots/frontline workers and volunteers.
- Indicator Development:
- Develop indicators to measure legal literacy and legal awareness in India.
- Evaluation and Assessment:
- Conduct concurrent evaluation and assessment of Legal Literacy and Legal Awareness Programs to ensure effectiveness.
