Technology Disruptive Yet Democratizing with Pro-People Focus: PM Modi at NALSA Legal Aid Conference
Launches Community Mediation Module; Highlights 8 Lakh Cases Resolved via Legal Aid Defense, Decriminalization of 3,400+ Offenses
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday described technology as an “indisputably disruptive force” but asserted that with a pro-people orientation, it can transform into a powerful tool for democratization, while addressing the National Conference on “Strengthening Legal Aid Delivery Mechanisms” organized by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).
Marking Legal Services Day, the two-day event (November 8-9) saw the PM launch a Community Mediation Training Module aimed at reviving India’s traditional dispute resolution through dialogue and consensus. He emphasized that delivering justice without regard to social or financial status forms the bedrock of social justice.
In the presence of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai (Patron-in-Chief, NALSA), Justice Surya Kant (Executive Chairman, NALSA), Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, and other Supreme Court judges, PM Modi highlighted key achievements: over 8 lakh criminal cases disposed in three years under the Legal Aid Defense Counsel System; decriminalization of 3,400+ offenses via the Jan Vishwas Act; and repeal of archaic laws through new statutes like the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
“A poor person cannot access justice until aware of rights and unafraid of systemic complexities,” the PM said, prioritizing legal awareness for the poor, women, and elderly. He applauded the Supreme Court’s translation of over 80,000 judgments into 18 Indian languages, expressing hope for similar efforts at High Court and district levels.
Justice Kant stressed combining technology with local knowledge and empathy to simplify legal aid access, calling it a bridge turning constitutional values into tangible relief for the marginalized.
Union Minister Meghwal noted NALSA’s budget surge from ₹68 crore in 2015-16 to ₹400 crore this fiscal (₹350 crore released), lauding schemes for acid attack victims, disaster-affected persons, prisoners, trafficking survivors, the mentally disabled, adivasis, and seniors. He urged fostering a pro bono culture via socially sensitive lawyers and paralegal volunteers.
CJI Gavai invoked Mahatma Gandhi’s talisman—recalling the poorest face in doubt—saying legal aid embodies this ideal. Recounting a Manipur relief camp visit where an elderly woman tearfully blessed him with “bane raho bhaiya,” he affirmed true success lies in citizens’ quiet gratitude, not statistics. “Justice’s light must reach every marginalized person for the Constitution’s promise to be fulfilled,” he added.
The PM concluded that aiding the unrepresented defines true “service,” with the mediation module poised to empower community-led resolutions.
