India launches free legal aid via video conferencing to villagers

"Villagers in India will soon able to connect directly with city lawyers and receive free legal advice via video conferencing as part of a government initiative aimed at improving access to justice for the country's poorest and most marginalized.

The "Tele-Law" initiative launched on Sunday will be piloted in 500 village councils in the northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and then rolled out across the rest of the country in a phased manner, said the law ministry.

Villagers will access the service through newly established "Common Service Centers" -- single-window centers providing online services to the public in rural areas where there is little or poor internet connectivity."

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