Union Minister of State for Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal, disclosed in the Lok Sabha that as of March 6, 2026, 36,269 digitally signed Certificates of Practice have been issued to newly appointed Notaries nationwide. The government has introduced the Notary Portal to facilitate online services linked to the Notaries Act, 1952, and the Notaries Rules, 1956. This portal acts as a digital platform connecting Notaries and the Government for services such as application submissions, eligibility verification, issuance of digitally signed Certificates of Practice, and more.
The Notary Portal operates as a virtual, eco-friendly, transparent, and effective system. Currently, it offers services for document verification, eligibility confirmation, and issuance of digitally signed Certificates of Practice to newly appointed Notaries. Previously, physical Certificates of Practice were issued to Notaries before the portal’s launch. Additionally, the government is executing the “Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice (DISHA)” scheme to ensure affordable and accessible justice for all citizens. This initiative aligns with the Legal Services Authorities (LSA) Act, 1987, aiming to enhance justice accessibility.
Through the Tele-Law component of the DISHA scheme, citizens can access pre-litigation legal advice via video or tele-conferencing with panel lawyers. This service is facilitated through a network of approximately 2.50 lakh Common Service Centres (CSCs) at the Gram Panchayat level across various districts and states. As of February 28, 2026, over 1.12 crore pre-litigation advices have been dispensed under this program. Furthermore, the Nyaya Bandhu component promotes a pro bono culture among advocates and law students. Pro bono advocates offer free legal aid and representation in court to eligible beneficiaries under Section 12 of the LSA Act, 1987, with 10,263 advocates registered under this initiative as of February 28.
