Increasing Access to Justice for Marginalized People (September 2008 - December 2017)
Support to Improving Administrative Efficiency for Delivering Newborn and Infant Healthcare Services (NIPI) (2013-2017)
Strengthening Planning and Reporting for Human Development (October 2011 - December 2017)
Strengthening Capacities of Panchayati Raj Institutions (September 2013 - December 2017)

Increasing Access to Justice for Marginalized People

What is the Project About

In partnership with the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India, the project focuses on strengthening access to justice for the poor by developing strategies that address barriers to accessing justice in legal, social, economic and political domains.

What Have We Accomplished So Far

Based on the success of the partnership, the Government has launched a similar project in Jammu and Kashmir and the North East of India with a budget allocation of US$ 6 million.
More than 2 million people from marginalized communities are more aware of their legal rights and how to seek redressal of their grievances
As a result of convergence with the Ministry of Human Resource Development legal literacy has been included in the continuing adult literacy programme under the national Government of India literacy scheme, Sakshar Bharat.
Over 7,000 paralegals trained to better assist marginalized communities, drawn from diverse backgrounds including women SHGs, Muslim women, women living in urban slums and so on.
The project has built greater synergy between a range of key actors, both nationally and at state levels to better coordinate efforts in supporting the legal needs of marginalized communities
A first-ever study conducted in India on legal aid clinics run by law schools and needs assessments of several State Legal Services Authority have enabled a better understanding of the barriers faced by marginalized communities in accessing justice.

Funding Support by

Donor Name	Amount Contributed
United Nations Development Programme	US$ 3,500,000 (For Year 2013-2017) US$ 3,176,537 (For Year 2008-2012)

Expenditure in Previous Fiscal Year

Year	Amount
2013	US$ 594,213
2012	US$ 11,33,180
2011	US$ 794,452
2010	US$ 749,496.15
2009	US$ 437,589
2008	N/A

Stories of Change

From Entitlement to Reality: Tribal Communities Use the Right to Information Act to Secure Justice
In partnership with the Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India, the project is helping poor and marginalized communities in Odisha access justice by enhancing legal awareness and supporting national and local justice delivery institutions.

Functional Literacy – The Language of Empowerment
By focusing on financial and legal literacy, UNDP has empowered poor and marginalized to strengthen their asset base, secure justice and expand the range of choices available to them.

Justice for All: Securing Land Rights for Tribal Communities
UNDP partners with the Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India to empower the poor and marginalized to demand and access entitlements and support justice delivery institutions to ensure the law works for the poor.

Road to Freedom: Tribal Communities Secure Land Rights
A UNDP-Ministry of Justice partnership has enabled poor, tribal communities in the Kalahandi district of Odisha to secure land rights and access entitlements under government schemes.

In the News

साठ फीसदी आबादी के लिए न्याय स्वप्न : जस्टिस सिन्हा
[Date: 12 March 2013, Source: Ranchi Express, Language: Hindi]
Be Sensitive to Poor Litigants’ needs, CJI tells Judges
[Date: 18 November 2012, Source: The Tribune]
Dr. Ashwani Kumar to Inaugurate International Conference on 'Equitable Access to Justice: Legal AID and Legal Empowerment'
[Date: 17 November 2012, Source: India Education Diary]
Dr. Ashwani Kumar to Inaugurate International Conference on 'Equitable Access to Justice: Legal AID and Legal Empowerment'
[Date: 17 November 2012, Source: India Education Diary]
Dr. Ashwani Kumar Inaugurates International Conference on Equitable Access to Justice: Legal Aid and Legal Empowerment
[Date: 17 November 2012, Source: Press Information Bureau]
Ashwani Kumar to Inaugurate Conference on Equitable Access to Justice
[Date: 16 November 2012, Source: ANI]
Improving the Justice Delivery System in the Country
[Date: 30 April 2012, Source: Press Information Bureau]
Will RTI be a Changemaker?
[Date: 08 April 2012, Source: Political Business Daily]

Project Overview

Status:: Ongoing
Project Start Date:: September 2008
Estimated End Date:: December 2017
Geographic Coverage:: Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh
Focus Area:: Democratic Governance
MDG:: All Millennium Development Goals
Project Officer:: Kanta Singh
Partners:: Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice

Highlights

Long-term partnership established between UNDP and the Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India to strengthen access to justice for the poor
Project scaled up to include Jammu and Kashmir and north-east of India with a budget allocation of US$ 6 million
A needs assessment study conducted of select State Legal Services Authorities that are mandated to provide legal aid
Over 7,000 paralegals trained to assist marginalized communities