Project NyayaBodh | परियोजना न्यायबोध - the Legal-aid and Legal-literacy Initiative

About DNLU

 Dharmashastra National Law University, Jabalpur (M.P.), India is one of the leading and premier law institutes imparting legal education and research. The University was established in the year 2018 by Madhya Pradesh Dharmashastra National Law University Act 24 of 2018, with the object of advancing the cause of legal education and achieving excellence as a university for imparting value-based legal education. The university emphasizes advocacy skills with professional ethics by providing suitable simulation exercises. The Hon'ble Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court is the Chancellor of the University. Motto: “सत्यम् वद । धर्म चर ।” (“Speak the truth and practice conduct in accordance with dharma”).

About Vidhimitra- The Legal Aid Cell: Vidhimitra is the Legal Aid Cell of Dharmashastra National Law University, Jabalpur, established in 2018 to make the legal system and justice more accessible to the public and raise awareness about contemporary legal issues and citizens' rights. It provides free legal advice, facilitates connections with lawyers, and engages in outreach, especially in rural areas, to empower marginalized communities with legal knowledge and support. Through awareness drives, counselling, and community engagement, Vidhimitra fosters legal literacy and inclusive access to justice.

About the Collaborator

Madhya Pradesh State Legal Services Authority (MPSLSA): The Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 has been enacted to achieve the objectives of equal justice and free legal aid as enshrined in Article 39-A of the Constitution of India. Under the said Act, 1987 Legal Services Authorities provide Free & Competent Legal Services to the weaker section of society to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities and organize Lok-Adalats to secure the operation of legal system and promote Mediation and other activities. The Court based Legal Services are also provided which include activities such as representation before Court, Legal Aid and Advice and drafting of legal documents etc. Section-12 of Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 provides certain categories of people who are eligible to get free legal aid & assistance. In that pursuant Madhya Pradesh State Legal Services Authority has been constituted.

About the Conclave

NyayaTech is the blend of two ideas: Nyaya (Justice) and Technology. NyayaTech represents the evolving vision of justice in a world where courts, lawyers, and citizens increasingly rely on digital systems to resolve disputes and access legal support. A digital justice system is not just about speed but also about access, inclusion, and fairness. With this conclave, NyayaTech seeks to bridge the gap between law and technology, ensuring that innovation truly reaches those who need justice the most. NyayaTech provides a platform to explore how technology can transform legal aid, public interest litigation, dispute resolution, and community access to legal services.

About Project NyayaBodh

Project NyayaBodh | परियोजना न्यायबोध is a flagship legal-aid and legal-literacy initiative of VidhiMitra – The Legal Aid Cell, Dharmashastra National Law University, Jabalpur, being undertaken as part of NYAYATECH CONCLAVE 2026.

The project is based on the principle “विधिज्ञानं जनशक्तिः, न्यायः सर्वजनस्य”, meaning “Legal knowledge empowers people; justice belongs to all.” It seeks to bridge the gap between legal rights and practical access to justice by creating a practical, accessible and citizen-oriented legal-literacy handbook for the common person.

The handbook is not intended to be a conventional academic legal text. Instead, it will explain common legal problems, basic rights, immediate remedies, relevant authorities, legal-aid mechanisms and practical steps in simple and understandable language.

Objective of Project NyayaBodh

The principal objective of Project NyayaBodh is to make basic legal knowledge accessible to individuals who may not always have immediate access to lawyers, courts or formal legal assistance.

The handbook seeks to help an ordinary person understand:

• What their basic legal rights are;

• What to do when faced with a legal problem;

• Which authority or institution they should approach;

• How to make a basic complaint or application;

• Where free legal aid can be obtained; and

• How to access government legal and welfare services.

The project therefore seeks to transform legal information into practical legal awareness and accessible assistance.

Areas Covered

The Project NyayaBodh handbook will address practical legal issues commonly faced by citizens, including:

• Police, FIRs, Arrest & Criminal Justice

• Family & Children

• Cyber Law & Digital Safety

• Consumer & Workplace Rights

• Property, Tenancy & Succession

• Government Services & Welfare

• Complaints & Grievances

• Legal Aid & Justice Services

• Rights of Vulnerable Persons

• Practical Legal-Aid Toolkit

Practical Approach

The handbook will adopt a problem-solving and citizen-oriented approach rather than a purely doctrinal presentation. Each topic will endeavour to answer two fundamental questions:

“What should I do now as a layperson?”

“How should I do it as a layperson?”

The objective is for the handbook to function as a practical first point of reference for individuals facing everyday legal difficulties.

Call for Contributions

Project NyayaBodh invites contributions from law students, researchers, academicians, practitioners and individuals interested in legal aid and legal literacy. Contributions are completely free of cost.

Contribution Guidelines

• Contribution Fee: NIL

• Word Limit: 150–200 words

• Languages: English / Hindi

• Deadline: 5 October 2026

• Contributors must write only on the prescribed topics released by the Organising Committee.

• Contributions on topics outside the prescribed list will not be considered.

• Writing on the same topic in both English and Hindi is encouraged.

• The selection, editing and inclusion of any part of a submission shall remain at the sole discretion of the Organising Committee.

• All selected contributors will be acknowledged by name at the end of the handbook.

Prescribed Topics

Contributors are required to select their topic only from the prescribed list released by the Organising Committee. The prescribed list covers everyday legal problems, family and children, digital safety, government services, grievances, legal aid, vulnerable persons and emergency assistance.

A. Everyday Legal Problems

• Police stop / harassment / detention

• FIR filing help

• Police refusal to register FIR / Zero FIR / complaint escalation

• Arrest rights & legal help

• Online / offline cheating or fraud

• Consumer complaint — bad product/service

• Workplace issues — unpaid wages / termination

• Minimum wages / unpaid salary / PF / ESI-related problems

• Sexual harassment at workplace / POSH / workplace safety

• Traffic challans / vehicle fines

• Road accident / injury compensation

• Rent / landlord / tenant disputes

• Neighbour disputes

• Domestic violence / abuse

• Sexual assault / sexual harassment / sexual offences — immediate legal steps

• Legal notice — received or to be sent

• Drafting basic legal documents

• Property disputes / illegal possession / boundary disputes

• Inheritance / succession / family property rights

• Will / nomination / basic succession questions

• Bank / UPI / unauthorised transaction / ATM fraud complaints

• Loan recovery harassment / debt collection problems

• Insurance claim rejection / delay

B. Family & Children

• Divorce / separation

• Child custody

• Child maintenance / support

• Domestic abuse affecting children

• Child in trouble with police / school

• Juvenile justice help

• Child labour / exploitation

• Child marriage prevention

• Child abuse / neglect

• School admission problems

• School authority / notice issues

• Bullying or mistreatment of child

• Missing / unsafe child help

• Sexual abuse of children / POCSO — what to do immediately

• Child marriage — prevention, reporting and immediate protection

• Child in conflict with law — police, parent and legal-aid rights

• Child in need of care and protection — where to approach

• Adoption — basic legal process and where to seek help

• Child trafficking / exploitation / forced labour

• Online abuse and sexual exploitation of children

C. Digital Safety & Online Issues

• Cyber fraud / online scam

• Cyberbullying / online harassment

• Identity theft / fake accounts

• Non-consensual sharing of images/videos

• Online education access issues

• UPI / online banking fraud — immediate steps

• Hacked social-media / email account

• Online impersonation / fake profile / deepfake-related abuse

• Online stalking / threats / blackmail

• Reporting / removal of unlawful online content

• Digital evidence — screenshots, links, messages and preservation of evidence

D. Everyday Government Services

1. Identity & Documents

• Aadhaar issues — update, correction, loss

• Voter ID help

• PAN card help

• Birth certificate / death certificate

• Caste certificate

• Income certificate

• Domicile / residence certificate

• Disability certificate / UDID-related issues

• Correction of errors in government records

• Lost documents — reporting and obtaining replacements

2. Food, Money & Basic Support

• Ration card — apply / update / issues

• Free food grain schemes

• Pension schemes — old age / widow / disability

• Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) issues

• Bank account opening / Jan Dhan

• LPG subsidy issues

• Bank account freeze / wrongful debit / account-related grievance

• Social-security benefits denied or stopped

• Financial assistance / victim compensation schemes

3. Health & Social Welfare

• Ayushman Bharat / health insurance

• Disability certificate & benefits

• Maternity benefits

• Health scheme grievance help

• Denial of treatment / emergency medical care — basic rights

• Rights of persons with disabilities / reasonable accommodation

• Mental healthcare rights and where to seek assistance

4. Employment & Livelihood

• MGNREGA job card / wage issues

• Skill development schemes

• Unemployment assistance

• Street vendor protection / help

• Minimum wages / wage non-payment

• Provident Fund / ESI-related grievances

• Workplace sexual harassment / Internal Committee complaints

• Termination / retrenchment / employment dispute — first steps

• Rights of domestic workers / informal workers

5. Housing & Basic Living

• Housing schemes — PMAY

• Slum rehabilitation / housing rights

• Electricity / water connection disputes

• Eviction / demolition / notice from local authority

• Property tax / municipal disputes

• Essential services denied to a household

E. Complaints, Grievances & Vigilance

• Complaint against government officer

• Bribery / corruption complaint

• Vigilance / anti-corruption complaint

• Delay or denial of government service

• Grievance against government department

• Online public grievance filing

• Right to Information (RTI) — when and how to use it

• RTI first appeal / what to do when information is denied

• Complaint to higher authority after departmental inaction

• Police complaint escalation / complaint to senior police officer

• Complaint to Human Rights / Women / Child / Disability authorities

F. Government Legal Help & Justice Services

• Free legal aid eligibility

• Legal Services Authority help

• Lok Adalat / mediation help

• Tele-Law — talk to a lawyer online

• Court case status tracking

• Online complaints to authorities

• How to apply for free legal aid — step by step

• How to approach DLSA / TLSC / SLSA

• Who is eligible for free legal aid

• What happens after applying for legal aid

• How mediation works / when settlement may be possible

• How to check whether a case is pending in court

• What to do if you cannot afford a lawyer

G. Vulnerable Persons & Special Protections

• Rights of senior citizens / elder abuse

• Protection against abandonment or abuse of parents / senior citizens

• Rights of persons with disabilities

• Discrimination / caste-based abuse and atrocities

• Rights of SC/ST persons and where to complain

• Human trafficking / exploitation

• Rights of migrant and informal workers

• Rights of persons in police / judicial custody

• Prisoner rights / family access / legal aid

• Rights of victims of crime and compensation

H. Emergency & Helplines

• Emergency assistance

• Women helpline

• Child Helpline

• Cybercrime reporting

• Senior citizen assistance

• Legal Aid emergency contact

• District police / cyber police contact

Formatting Guidelines

English Contributions

• Font: Times New Roman

• Body: 12 pt

• Heading: 12 pt, ALL CAPS

• Line Spacing: 1.5

Hindi Contributions

• Font: Mangal

• Body: 12 pt

• Heading: 12 pt

• Line Spacing: 1.5

Who Can Contribute?

Contributions are welcome from:

• Law Students

• Research Scholars

• Academicians

• Advocates and Legal Practitioners

• Legal-Aid Volunteers

• Researchers

• Individuals passionate about legal literacy and access to justice

Handbook Publication & Release

Selected contributions will form part of the Project NyayaBodh Handbook, subject to editorial review and approval by the Organising Committee. The handbook will initially be published in English and Hindi, with the vision of subsequently developing versions in additional Indian languages.

The official handbook will be released at NYAYATECH CONCLAVE 2026 in Jabalpur by Hon’ble Supreme Court and High Court Judges, providing a significant platform for the initiative and its objective of advancing legal literacy and access to justice.

Participation at NYAYATECH Conclave

Individuals interested in witnessing the release of the Project NyayaBodh Handbook may attend NYAYATECH CONCLAVE 2026 at Jabalpur for a nominal participation fee of ₹250. The Conclave will bring together members of the legal fraternity, academicians, students, researchers, technology professionals and other stakeholders to explore the intersection of law, technology and access to justice.

Payment Link

https://erp.mpdnlu.ac.in/events/eventdetails.php?slug=2b04f1d7168195e

Why Contribute to Project NyayaBodh?

Project NyayaBodh seeks to address the gap between knowing that a legal right exists and knowing how to enforce it or where to obtain assistance. The initiative aims to create a resource that helps ordinary people understand their legal problems, identify the appropriate next step and find the relevant avenue for assistance.

Contributing to the handbook therefore provides an opportunity to participate in a practical legal-literacy and legal-aid initiative aimed at creating a more informed, accessible and inclusive justice system.

Contact Details

Ms. Isha Mehrotra – Convenor
+91 89570 32093

Ms. Alfishan Nayab – Co-Convenor
+91 87709 41031

Email: legalaid@mpdnlu.ac.in

For more details -

📄 Download Document (Project NyayaBodha- Nyayatech.pdf)