Parliament Question: Cases resolved through Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF LEGAL AFFAIRS RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 119 ANSWERED ON 29/01/2026 CASES RESOLVED THROUGH ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION MECHANISMS

119. Smt. Sagarika Ghose:

Will the Minister of Law and Justice be pleased to state:

(a) the number of cases resolved through Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms during the last five years;

(b) the number of cases resolved that have exceeded the prescribed resolution period of 180 days during that period;

(c) the number of cases concluded by Lok Adalats which subsequently resulted in the filing of a suit by an aggrieved party during that period; and

(d) the current status of establishment of Arbitration Council of India as mandated under Part 1A of the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Act, 2019 and the reasons for the delay? 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) Being part of ADR, under the Pre-Institution Mediation and Settlement (PIMS) mechanism under Section 12A, 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 details of commercial disputes settled through pre-institution mediation under the Commercial Courts Act, 2015, since the amendment in the year 2018, are

as follows:No. of application No. of application No. of applications Period where mediation where parties reached received for mediation remains non- starter for settlement July, 2018 to 3680 1660 25 March, 2019 2019-20 18080 14470 167 2020-21 18364 14014 186 2021-22 32335 28441 368 2022-23 46412 41898 1449 2023-24 51019 47185 1139 2024-25 59568 52730 877 2025-26 (up 47218 30353 643 to Sep 25) However, as the ADR is party autonomy driven and the parties for ADR take recourse with ad hoc mediation and various mediation institutions, for which no formal data is available.

(b) No such data is maintained by the Government.

(c) Lok Adalats are organised across the country under the provisions of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 read with 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/ cases pending in the court of law 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. Under Section 21 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, the Award made by Lok Adalat is deemed to be a decree of a civil court and is final and binding on all parties to the dispute and no appeal lies to any court against the Award.The National Legal Services Authority maintains information only with respect to cases settled/disposed of in Lok Adalats. The details of pre-litigation and pending cases settled/disposed of through Lok Adalats during the last five years are as follows:

(i) Disposal of cases in National Lok Adalats Years Pre-litigation Pending Cases Total 2021 72,06,294 55,81,743 1,27,88,037 2022 3,10,15,215 1,09,10,795 4,19,26,010 2023 7,10,32,980 1,43,09,237 8,53,42,217 2024 8,70,19,059 1,75,07,060 10,45,26,119 2025 12,65,89,535 2,18,35,515 14,84,25,050

(ii) Disposal of cases in State Lok Adalats Years Pre-litigation Pending Cases Total 2021-22 1,14,278 4,18,251 5,32,529 2022-23 94,939 7,56,370 8,51,309 2023-24 2,19,230 9,87,873 12,07,103 2024-25 8,05,731 5,39,083 13,44,814 2025-26 (up to 3,47,069 2,42,617 5,89,686 Nov 25)(iii) Permanent Lok Adalats (Public Utility Services) Years Disposal of PLAs 2021-22 1,18,136 2022-23 1,71,138 2023-24 2,32,763 2024-25 2,37,980 2025-26 (up to Nov. 25) 1,68,808

(d) Part IA of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 inter-alia provides for the establishment of the Arbitration Council of India. The Arbitration Council of India is yet to be established. ****