In India, Legal Services Authorities provide free legal services to which of the following type of citizens?
1. Person with an annual income of less than Rs 1,00,000
2. Transgender with an annual income of less than Rs 2,00,000
3. Member of Other Backward Classes (OBC) with an annual income of less than Rs 3,00,000
4. All Senior Citizens
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Explanation
Under Section 12 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 (NALSA), eligibility criteria for free legal aid include:
– 1. Income Ceiling (Correct): Any person whose annual income is less than Rs 1,00,000 (or higher limits prescribed by State Legal Services Authorities) is eligible.
– 2. Transgender Eligibility (Correct): State rules (such as Delhi SLSA) and NALSA guidelines establish free legal aid eligibility for transgender persons subject to specified regional income limits (e.g., up to Rs 2,00,000).
– 3. OBC Members (Incorrect): The Act explicitly extends free legal aid to members of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) irrespective of income ceilings, but does not specify OBCs as a statutory category under Section 12.
– 4. Senior Citizens (Incorrect): Free legal aid is not granted unconditionally to all senior citizens; eligibility is subject to income thresholds framed by individual states.
According to the official UPSC answer key, the correct combination is 1 and 2 only — Option A.