New Delhi, March 22 (IANS) Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal on Sunday stressed on pro bono initiatives by lawyers and optimal use of Tele-Law to improve public access to justice, especially in rural areas.
He was speaking at the Regional Event-cum-Workshop 2026, at Kurukshetra University, organised under the Tele-Law initiative of Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice (DISHA), a Central Sector Scheme implemented by the Department of Justice under the Access to Justice division, Ministry of Law and Justice.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini also shared his perspective on strengthening access to justice and the role of digital interventions in governance at the workshop.
The Regional Event-cum-Workshop on the Tele-Law programme, organised under the DISHA Scheme of the Department of Justice, is part of the Government of India’s broader effort to strengthen access to justice through awareness, capacity-building, and technology-enabled service delivery.
A special highlight of the event was the celebration of 150 years of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’, performed by local artists, commemorating its historic and cultural significance in India’s freedom movement.
The event featured a welcome address by the Secretary, Department of Justice, setting the context for the workshop, followed by a session showcasing the progress of the DISHA Scheme in Haryana, including live interactions with Tele-Law panel lawyers, Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs), and beneficiaries, demonstrating the impact of technology-enabled legal services at the grassroots level.
The programme also included a segment on the pro bono initiatives undertaken by law colleges in Haryana, with experience-sharing by faculty members and students engaged in community legal service.
As part of the event, five e-books on customary laws of the North Eastern region of India were formally launched, contributing to the preservation and dissemination of indigenous legal knowledge.
Additionally, a Doordarshan documentary on the DISHA Scheme was launched, highlighting its vision, implementation, and impact across the country.
The programme concluded with the presentation of mementoes, followed by a vote of thanks by the Joint Secretary (Access to Justice) and the National Anthem.
About 900 participants attended the event physically, including officials of the Punjab and Haryana High Court; officials from the State Legal Services Authority, Haryana; advocates from the Bar associations of the Punjab and Haryana High Court; government counsels; Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) from Common Service Centres (CSCs) and Tele-Law panel lawyers.
Also present were faculty members and law students from Kurukshetra University, Dr B.R. Ambedkar National Law University (Sonipat), SGT University (Gurugram), G.D. Goenka University (Gurugram), the School of Legal Studies, Geeta Institute of Law (Panipat), and The NorthCap University (Gurugram), along with directors, registrars, and senior officials from both Central and state administrations.
In addition, several citizens and stakeholders of the Department of Justice joined the event through virtual mode.
–IANS
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