Evaluation of Indias Tele-Law Scheme

This NCAER study evaluates the Tele-Law Scheme of the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India that links rural citizens with urban lawyers using ICT. The study provides a number of important insights on the operation and impact of the scheme and proposes a set of recommendations, especially in view of the potential national rollout of the scheme. The Central Government is setting up a CSC in each Gram Panchayat, making a national rollout technically feasible. The question this study answers is how best to configure the technical and professional services under Tele-Law to make them more accessible in a meaningful way for the needy. The study highlights the need for strong, last-mile outreach and education about the scheme at the local level. It points to the need for increasing the number of empanelled lawyers, especially as demand rises, or as a national rollout is considered. The study recommends a strong, continuous, monitoring and evaluation for the Tele-Law Scheme so that problems and constraints can be addressed rapidly on both the human and technical fronts in this innovative scheme.