Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal lauded the farsightedness of the framers of the Constitution on Saturday for making a provision for free legal aid.
He also said justice delivery should not be considered just as a sovereign task but also a citizen-centric service.
"A successful democracy is identified by the guarantee of justice to its citizens," Meghwal said, addressing the inaugural function of a national conference on strengthening legal-aid delivery mechanisms at the Supreme Court premises here.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Justice of India B R Gavai were among those present.
Meghwal lauded initiatives, such as Tele-Law and pro-bono legal services, and stressed the importance of designing innovative solutions for a holistic access to justice.
"Since 2017, when Tele-Law was first introduced, more than one crore beneficiaries have received pre-litigation advice," he said.