Between mandate and reality

In 2014, the Supreme Court of India, in the case of Laxmi vs. Union of India, had instructed all the state governments to provide a minimum compensation of Rs. 3 lakhs to the acid attack survivors. This article examines the requirement and questions its fulfilment. The article highlights the ongoing gap in the implementation of State Victim Compensation (SVC) schemes across four Indian states (Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal) over the past decade (2014-2025) by systematically analysing 37 reported cases, SVC scheme schedules, and NALSA disbursal data. Based on the socio-legal theories of Pound, Galanter, and Felstiner et al. and a brief comparative analysis with the United Kingdom and Bangladesh, the paper concludes that the difference is due to a structural deficiency of legal institutionalization. Three proposals for targeted reforms are put forward.