Yogi Adityanath Announces ₹5 Lakh Cashless Health Cover for UP Advocates, Major Push for Chambers and Legal Technology
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced a major package of welfare and infrastructure measures for the state’s legal fraternity, including annual cashless medical insurance of up to ₹5 lakh for practising advocates. The announcement was made on September 14 at a programme organised by the Allahabad High Court Bar Association in Prayagraj.
Under the proposed health cover, advocates regularly practising in the Allahabad High Court and district courts will be brought under a cashless medical insurance facility with coverage of up to ₹5 lakh a year. The move is aimed at providing greater financial protection to lawyers facing major medical expenses.
The Chief Minister also announced a substantial enhancement in advocate welfare assistance. The financial assistance available through the Advocate Welfare Fund has been increased from ₹1.5 lakh to ₹5 lakh. In another relief measure, the age limit for financial assistance to the families of deceased advocates has been raised from 60 to 70 years.
Technology was another major component of the announcements. Around 400 state law officers are to receive tablets, with the objective of giving them faster access to information and digital resources relating to government cases pending before courts.
The government also highlighted the expansion of infrastructure for lawyers at the Allahabad High Court. A chamber and multi-level parking complex for more than 10,000 lawyers has been constructed in Prayagraj at a reported cost of around ₹700 crore. The complex includes facilities such as parking, a dining hall, common rooms and a library.
Yogi Adityanath said the government would also support the provision of furniture and essential equipment in these chambers once proposals are submitted through the Chief Justice or the relevant judicial authorities. The government has separately allocated funds for advocate chambers at the district level, with projects completed or under construction in nearly a dozen districts.
The Chief Minister also pointed to broader changes in judicial infrastructure. Integrated court complexes are being developed in 10 districts, bringing judicial facilities, lawyers’ chambers and other amenities into unified campuses. The proposed complexes are also expected to include facilities such as residential accommodation for judicial officers, sports infrastructure and subsidised canteens for advocates.
Another significant claim concerned government lawyers’ remuneration. Yogi reiterated that fees for government lawyers had already been increased by more than 50 percent, adding another financial component to the package of measures announced for the legal community.
The Chief Minister placed the announcements within a wider argument about strengthening the relationship between the Bar and the Bench. He described lawyers and the judiciary as two essential components of the justice system and stressed the importance of mutual respect, dialogue and coordination for effective delivery of justice.
Yogi also urged younger advocates to prepare for a rapidly changing legal environment. He specifically identified cybercrime, artificial intelligence, data privacy, digital commerce, fintech, intellectual property and climate litigation as areas in which the legal profession will increasingly require specialised knowledge.
The Chief Minister linked technological modernisation with efforts to reduce delays in the justice system. He said district courts and prisons have been connected through high-speed internet and video-conferencing facilities, while digitalisation of court records and virtual recording of evidence are being expanded.
The announcements come as Uttar Pradesh continues to expand cashless healthcare and welfare benefits for different professional and frontline groups. The government has recently extended ₹5 lakh health-cover measures to other categories of workers as well, making the advocates’ announcement part of a broader expansion of state-supported healthcare protection.
For Uttar Pradesh’s legal community, however, the advocates’ package is significant on several fronts: health protection, enhanced welfare assistance, improved workplace infrastructure and greater access to technology are being addressed together. The effectiveness of the ₹5 lakh cashless insurance scheme will ultimately depend on its implementation details, including eligibility, enrolment and the network of hospitals available to practising advocates.
At the Prayagraj event, Yogi also emphasised that public confidence is central to the justice system. He argued that timely hearings, equality before law, transparency and institutional accountability are essential if citizens are to retain faith in the judiciary and other democratic institutions.
