Nyay Setu, a legal aid chatbot, is launched on WhatsApp for free advice.
MoLJ aims to bridge legal awareness gap amid millions of pending court cases.
Service shows navigation errors despite claims of swift legal assistance.
Legal Help is now just a message away! This is the message the Ministry of Law and Justice (MoLJ) posted on its social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on New Year.
The government had launched the Nyay Setu app last year to assist investigators, such as police, in speeding up their probes. On August 4, 2024, Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah launched the app along with other legal system-related apps. The app interlinks different government agencies on a single platform, such as police, medical, forensic, prison departments, and so on, where they can access relevant information with a single click. The app has been designed to help investigators get information quickly, coordinate among departments, reduce delays in investigations, and make informed decisions.
Linking Nyay Setu App With WhatsApp
Now, the MoLJ has taken this initiative one step forward by linking the Nyay Setu app with WhatsApp to offer free legal assistance to all WhatsApp users in India.
“Nyaya Setu brings 'Ease of Justice' directly to your WhatsApp. Simply verify your mobile number to access a unified interface for legal advice and information. This smart navigation ensures that professional legal assistance is always swift and accessible for every citizen,” the MoLJ posted on X.
People can directly access WhatsApp number #7217711814 to get legal advice, legal information, or legal assistance, according to the MoLJ message.
Technical Glitches Exist
However, users don’t seem to be satisfied due to the technical errors they are facing in accessing the services, and some have even questioned why Nyay Setu has been linked with WhatsApp and not with the indigenously developed platform Arratai.
One user, Ketan Patel wrote on X, “Did anyone from @MLJ_GoI check that this Service is properly working or not? Or simply started publicity? It's throwing error that contact the developer that this bot has a build error.”
Some have called it useless, and many are showing dissatisfaction because the services are not working and only showing error messages.
A user named Sidharth wrote, “Just tried in the WhatsApp! There’s Nothing, just a navigation and errors.”
Privacy Concerns On WhatsApp
Another user, SELVARAJ, questioned the purpose of the linking and wrote, “Only by increasing the judicial strength by 5 times, it is possible to get justice.”
A user named Wiseguy posted, “Really, why can't you do it in @Arattai. WhatsApp collects data.”
While the MoSL claims linking Nyay Setu with WhatsApp offers an easy way to access legal advice, technical errors persist.
At the time of writing, it was still showing, “Sorry! There is an error with bot build. Please contact the developer.” The smart navigation is yet to become accessible.
