UP Announces ₹5 Lakh Cashless Medical Cover for Advocates

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced cashless medical insurance of up to ₹5 lakh annually for advocates practising in the High Court and district courts across the state. The announcement was made at a ceremony of the Allahabad High Court Bar Association.

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said the new generation of advocates should act as guardians of constitutional values and help carry justice to the grassroots. A future-ready Bar, he said, is essential to building a future-ready justice system.

The welfare package extends beyond medical cover. The government will support furniture and equipment in the chambers of more than 10,000 advocates, provide tablets to 400 State Law Officers, and raise the fees of State Law Officers by more than 50 per cent. The Advocate Welfare Fund has been increased from ₹1.5 lakh to ₹5 lakh, and the eligibility age for financial assistance to family members on the death of an advocate has been raised from 60 to 70 years.

The Chief Minister contrasted the present situation with the period before 2017, when, he said, 45 to 50 per cent of posts in the UP Police were vacant and transparency, accountability, law and order, and judicial infrastructure posed challenges. Police training capacity has since been raised from 3,000 to 60,000 personnel a year, he said. Earlier, district courts in 10 districts operated from temporary and rented buildings and advocates' chambers were dilapidated; chambers for more than 10,000 advocates have now been constructed at a cost of ₹700 crore.

He noted that the day was significant as it coincided with Hindi Diwas, Hartalika Teej and Ganesh Chaturthi, and extended greetings to the people of the state.

Describing the advocate community as an important part of the country's enlightened society, he said it is seen both as a creator of public opinion and a symbol of public trust. The community, he added, played a significant role from the freedom movement to the framing of the Constitution, the functioning of governance and administration, the strengthening of all pillars of democracy, and the ongoing nation-building effort.

The Chief Minister said India's freedom movement remained fragmented for a long time and gained fresh direction and momentum after Mahatma Gandhi gave up his legal practice in South Africa and took charge. Prayagraj, he said, witnessed many advocates who, while practising in the Allahabad High Court, played an active role in the freedom struggle. He named Pandit Motilal Nehru and Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya as figures who gave momentum to the country and the movement and stood in support of revolutionaries, and also recalled the contributions of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar.

Referring to Dr Rajendra Prasad's association with Prayagraj, he said the Presidential Suite on the banks of the Sangam reminds the nation of the President of the Constituent Assembly and the country's first President, who visited Prayagraj during every Kumbh and observed Kalpavas during the Magh Mela. To honour his contribution, the state government has decided to establish Dr Rajendra Prasad National Law University in Prayagraj.