The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) launched the SAMVAD Scheme in April 2025 to improve access to justice for Scheduled Tribes, Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, and De-Notified and Nomadic Tribes. The scheme responds to long-standing barriers faced by these communities in obtaining legal remedies, welfare entitlements, and timely legal support in remote and tribal regions.
Purpose of the Scheme
The full form of SAMVAD is Strengthening Access to Justice for Marginalised, Vulnerable Adivasis and Denotified/Nomadic Tribes. It aims to provide community-based legal assistance through outreach, awareness, and early intervention. The scheme focuses on issues such as land and forest rights, displacement, rehabilitation, documentation, social security, and access to welfare schemes.
Institutional Framework
NALSA has created dedicated SAMVAD Units at the district level. These units identify tribal communities in each taluk and prepare annual action plans. They work through State and District Legal Services Authorities to ensure structured implementation across the country. A total of 690 SAMVAD Units have been constituted at the district level.
Legal Aid and Outreach Measures
The scheme deploys trained panel lawyers and para-legal volunteers from tribal areas. It includes:
- Legal awareness programmes in tribal habitations.
- Door-to-door outreach and legal literacy sessions in local languages.
- Legal services camps and coordination with Gram Sabhas.
- Assistance in documentation and entitlement claims.
- Support for access to government welfare and social security schemes.
Monitoring and Reporting
The scheme has a standard monitoring framework. Taluk Legal Services Committees, District Legal Services Authorities, and State Legal Services Authorities submit quarterly reports in prescribed formats. These are consolidated and reviewed by NALSA at the national level. NALSA has also issued a revised roadmap for consolidated biennial reports from all State Legal Services Authorities.
Last Modified: April 28, 2026