INDIA, NATIONAL
CIVIS, Enhancing Citizen Participation in the Law-Making Process
- Hub
- Activity
- Model
- DemTech
- Digital participation
- Actors
- Citizenship and communities
- Marginalized communities
- LGBTIQ+ communities
- Civil society and intermediaries
- Public sector
- Purpose
- Strengthening democracy
- Institutional trust
- Public advocacy
- Accountability
#DELIBERATIVESURVEY
The primary aim of CIVIS is to facilitate citizen participation in legislative processes through accessible public consultations. This digital platform enables people across India to share their opinions on draft laws in plain, understandable language, using channels such as WhatsApp, IVR, and social media.
The goal of this initiative is to make the lawmaking process more inclusive—especially for populations with limited digital access or low legal literacy.
KEY ELEMENTS
- Translating and simplifying legal drafts into accessible language to improve citizen understanding.
- Collecting public responses through multiple channels, including both digital and in-person formats.
- Delivering qualitative and quantitative feedback reports to decision-makers based on the consultations.
- Engaging with communities in schools, parks, and local forums to reach excluded groups.
- Collaborating with local governments and civil society organizations to strengthen the practice of pre-legislative consultation.
OUTCOMES
- CIVIS has ensured that citizens have a recognized voice in legislative processes, as seen in the case of the Transgender Persons Act.
- It has documented best practices and built a network of institutional allies.
- The platform continues to explore new forms of participation to include rural communities and those without reliable connectivity.
PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS
CIVIS
KEY CONCEPTS
Contextual: Unequal access to technology, legal barriers, limited civic engagement.
On Democracy: Pre-legislative consultation, citizen participation, legal accessibility.
GALLERY
