DISHA 2.0 brings several routes to legal assistance under a centrally funded programme approved for April 2026 to March 2031. The Law Ministry's June 22 announcement sets a Rs 255-crore budget and a target of reaching three crore people.
Its components address different problems. Tele-Law connects people with advice before litigation, while Nyaya Bandhu links eligible people needing representation with pro bono lawyers. Public legal education is a third strand, rather than another name for an individual lawyer-client service.
The Department of Justice's Tele-Law description explains that panel lawyers can be reached through Common Service Centres using video or telephone connections. This is particularly relevant when the first obstacle is understanding a dispute and available options, rather than finding a courtroom advocate.
The new programme also includes VIDHI Sanjeevani monitoring and a multilingual Nyaya Setu chatbot using BHASHINI. A digital entry point can help organise information, but its role should not be confused with the personalised advice provided by a qualified lawyer.
These distinctions also explain the outreach target: people attending legal-awareness activities and people receiving individual assistance may be counted through different programme components. Three crore is not a promise of three crore completed lawsuits. The programme's usefulness rests on matching each legal need to the appropriate service.
