**Executive Summary**
This document contains an answer to Unstarred Question No. 2475, which was to be answered on Friday, February 13th, 2026. The question pertained to the Government's assessment and promotion of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms. The answer provided by the Minister of State details initiatives taken to promote ADR.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Assessment of ADR Mechanisms:**
* The Government has not specifically assessed the usage and effectiveness of ADR mechanisms in the Budaun district of Uttar Pradesh.
* **Government Promotion of ADR:**
* The Government continues to promote ADR mechanisms, including arbitration and mediation, as a less adversarial alternative to conventional dispute resolution.
* Policy and legislative interventions are being taken to strengthen ADR mechanisms.
* **Initiatives Related to Arbitration:**
* The Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, has been progressively amended in 2015, 2019, and 2020.
* These amendments aim to keep pace with developments in arbitration and ensure the timely conclusion of arbitration proceedings.
* Amendments promote arbitrator neutrality, minimize judicial intervention, ensure the enforcement of arbitral awards, and promote institutional arbitration.
* The Commercial Courts Act, 2015, was amended in 2018 to provide for Pre-Institution Mediation and Settlement (PIMS) mechanism.
* **India International Arbitration Centre Act, 2019:**
* Enacted to establish the India International Arbitration Centre.
* Aims to create an independent, autonomous, and world-class body to facilitate institutional arbitration.
* The center aims to inspire confidence amongst parties for resolution of commercial disputes through arbitration.
* **Mediation Act, 2023:**
* Lays down the legislative framework for mediation.
* Expected to provide standalone law on mediation.
* **Lok Adalats:**
* Organized across the country as per the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 and Regulations, 2009.
* Disputes or cases pending in court or at the pre-litigation stage are attempted to be settled amicably.
* Award given by Lok Adalat is deemed to be a decree of civil court, final, and binding.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Disputing Parties**
* **Impact:** Encouraged to use ADR mechanisms for quicker and less adversarial dispute resolution.
* **Action Required:** Consider mediation and arbitration before approaching the courts, especially in commercial disputes where PIMS is mandatory.
**Stakeholder: Courts and Tribunals**
* **Impact:** Reduction in the burden of cases as more disputes are resolved through ADR mechanisms.
* **Action Required:** Facilitate and recognize ADR processes, particularly Lok Adalats, as effective methods of dispute resolution.
**Stakeholder: Legal Professionals (Lawyers, Arbitrators, Mediators)**
* **Impact:** Need to adapt to and utilize the evolving legal framework for ADR.
* **Action Required:** Stay updated on amendments to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, the Commercial Courts Act, and the Mediation Act.
**Stakeholder: Arbitration Institutions**
* **Impact:** Increased importance and role in facilitating arbitration proceedings.
* **Action Required:** Strengthen infrastructure and expertise to handle the growing demand for institutional arbitration.
Key Entities Referenced
Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanisms: General mechanisms aimed at resolving disputes outside of traditional court proceedings (e.g., mediation, arbitration).
Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996: Indian legislation governing arbitration and conciliation proceedings, amended in 2015, 2019, and 2020.
Mediation Act, 2023: Indian legislation establishing a framework for mediation, especially institutional mediation.
Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987: Indian legislation under which Lok Adalats (people's courts) are organized.
Commercial Courts Act, 2015: Indian legislation which was amended in 2018 to provide inter-alia for Pre-Institution Mediation and Settlement (PIMS) mechanism.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT OF LEGAL AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2475
TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 13TH FEBRUARY, 2026
ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION MECHANISMS
2475. SHRI ADITYA YADAV:
Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has assessed the usage and effectiveness of alternative dispute
resolution mechanisms, including Lok Adalats, mediation Centres and pre-litigation settlement
forums in Budaun district of Uttar Pradesh and if so, the details thereof;
(b) the details of the actions taken by the Government to promote dispute resolution through
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms, reduce the burden of cases on courts and
encourage the speedy resolution of disputes at the district level; and
(c) if not, the reasons therefor?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW
AND JUSTICE; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS
(SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)
(a) to (c): No such assessment has been carried out by the Government especially with
respect to Budaun District of Uttar Pradesh. The Government however continues to promote
alternate dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms including arbitration and mediation in the
country, as these mechanisms are less adversarial and are capable of providing a better
substitute to the conventional methods of resolving disputes. The Government is further taking
policy and legislative interventions, to strengthen these mechanisms and make them more
efficacious and expeditious.
The major initiatives, steps and measures taken by the Central Government over the years in
this regard include with respect to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 which has been
progressively amended in the years 2015, 2019 and 2020 to keep pace with current
developments in the arbitration landscape and to enable arbitration as a viable dispute
resolution mechanism. The amendments are aimed at ensuring timely conclusion of arbitration
1proceedings, neutrality of arbitrators, minimizing judicial intervention in the arbitral process,
efficacious enforcement of arbitral awards and promotion of institutional arbitration
The Commercial Courts Act, 2015 was also amended in the year 2018 to provide inter-alia for
Pre-Institution Mediation and Settlement (PIMS) mechanism. Under this mechanism, where a
commercial dispute of specified value does not contemplate any urgent interim relief, the
parties have to first exhaust the mandatory remedy of PIMS before approaching the Court. This
is aimed at providing an opportunity to the parties to resolve the commercial disputes through
mediation.
The India International Arbitration Centre Act, 2019, was enacted to provide for the
establishment of the India International Arbitration Centre for the purpose of creating an
independent, autonomous and world class body for facilitating institutional arbitration and to
declare the Centre to be an institution of national importance. The Centre has since been
established and aims to inspire confidence amongst parties, both domestic and international,
by providing a neutral dispute resolution platform for resolution of commercial disputes
through arbitration.
The Mediation Act, 2023, lays down the legislative framework for mediation to be adopted by
disputing parties, especially under the aegis of institutional mediation. The Mediation Act, 2023
is also expected to be a pivotal legislative intervention towards providing standalone law on
mediation and enabling the growth of a culture of amicable settlement of disputes out of court.
Lok Adalats are organised across the country as per the provisions of the Legal Services
Authorities Act, 1987 read with the National Legal Services Authority (Lok Adalats)
Regulations, 2009 for the subject matters as prescribed under the said Act and Regulations in
the Courts and Tribunals as defined under Section 2 (aaa) of the said Act. In Lok Adalats, the
disputes or cases pending in the court or at pre-litigation stage are attempted to be settled
amicably. The Lok Adalat has been given statutory status under the Legal Services Authorities
Act, 1987, recognizing its efficacy as an expeditious, less costly and speedier system of
administration of justice. The award made by Lok Adalat is deemed to be a decree of a civil
court and is final and binding on all parties and no appeal lies against the Award before any
court.
****
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