India Unveils ‘Nyaya Setu’ AI Chatbot to Democratise Access to Justice

The system is aligned with legal frameworks such as the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), ensuring safe, responsible, and context-aware responses.

In a major step toward making legal services more accessible and inclusive, the Government of India unveiled “Nyaya Setu”, a cutting-edge AI-powered legal assistant, along with its official mascot “Dishika”, at the DISHA programme held at Vigyan Bhawan.

The platform was launched by the Vice-President of India, Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan, in the presence of Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, marking a significant milestone in leveraging Artificial Intelligence for justice delivery.

A Voice-First AI Platform to Simplify Legal Access

Nyaya Setu is designed as a voice-first, multimodal, multilingual AI chatbot that helps citizens:

• Understand legal rights and procedures

• Navigate judicial processes

• Receive guidance on next steps in legal matters

The platform supports multiple Indian languages, ensuring that language barriers do not hinder access to justice—especially for citizens in rural and linguistically diverse regions.

Powered by India’s BHASHINI AI Ecosystem

Developed by the Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Nyaya Setu showcases a fully integrated end-to-end voice AI stack, including:

• Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR)

• Multilingual Natural Language Processing (NLP)

• Conversational AI systems

The system is aligned with legal frameworks such as the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), ensuring safe, responsible, and context-aware responses.

‘Dishika’: A Digital Guide for Citizens

The chatbot’s mascot, Dishika, serves as a user-friendly digital interface, guiding individuals through legal queries with:

• Simplified explanations

• Interactive engagement

• Enhanced accessibility for first-time users

This human-centric design is expected to build trust and ease of use, particularly for those unfamiliar with legal systems.

Real-Time Multilingual Accessibility at Scale

During the launch event, BHASHINI’s Shrutlekh system demonstrated its capabilities by enabling:

• Real-time transcription

• Multilingual translation of speeches

This highlights the broader potential of AI-driven language tools in making government communication more inclusive.

Transforming Justice Delivery Through Technology

Nyaya Setu represents a shift toward citizen-centric justice systems, addressing long-standing challenges such as:

• Complex legal language

• Procedural opacity

• Limited access to legal guidance

By simplifying legal information into accessible formats, the platform aims to:

• Empower citizens to make informed decisions

• Reduce dependency on intermediaries

• Improve transparency in legal processes

BHASHINI: The Backbone of India’s Language AI Revolution

The initiative builds on the capabilities of BHASHINI, India’s flagship AI language platform, which has emerged as one of the world’s largest language technology ecosystems:

• Supports 36 text languages and 23 voice languages

• Offers 20+ specialised NLP services

• Powers over 500 government websites

• Processes 15 million+ daily AI inferences

The platform also supports tribal dialects and international languages, making it a key pillar of India’s digital public infrastructure.

Strategic Importance: Bridging the Justice Gap

Experts view Nyaya Setu as a transformative tool in addressing India’s access-to-justice gap, particularly for:

• Rural populations

• Linguistically diverse communities

• First-time legal system users

The initiative aligns with broader government efforts to:

• Digitize public services

• Enhance inclusivity through technology

• Build scalable, citizen-centric governance systems

A Step Toward ‘Digital Justice Infrastructure’

Nyaya Setu exemplifies how AI-driven public platforms can redefine governance by:

• Integrating technology with legal systems

• Enabling real-time, accessible information delivery

• Scaling services across geographies and languages

Outlook: Toward Inclusive and Accessible Justice

As India advances its digital governance framework, platforms like Nyaya Setu are expected to play a critical role in ensuring that justice is not only delivered—but also understood and accessible to every citizen.

By combining AI, language technology, and legal frameworks, the initiative sets the stage for a future where technology bridges the gap between citizens and the justice system.