**Executive Summary**
This document contains the answer provided by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Women and Child Development in response to Unstarred Question No. 2368 in Lok Sabha. The questions concern the establishment, implementation, and expansion of Nari Adalats, a pilot initiative under Mission Shakti. The answer addresses the number of Nari Adalats, proposals from Karnataka, evaluation of performance, and measures for expansion and convergence with other services. The question was to be answered on 13.02.2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Nari Adalat Initiative:**
* Nari Adalat is a pilot initiative under the Sambal vertical of Mission Shakti Mission in the 15th Finance Commission period.
* It aims to offer alternative dispute resolution, grievance redressal, counseling, and evidence-based decision-making at the Gram Panchayat level.
* The scheme intends to address socio-economic and cultural challenges faced by women and resolve disputes through mediation and referral to institutions such as One Stop Centres, Police Stations, District Legal Service Authorities, and Women Help Desks.
* Implementation lies with the State government and UT administration.
* **Legal Status and Objective:**
* Nari Adalat does not have legal status.
* Its goal is reconciliation and grievance redressal through mutual consent and raising awareness of rights and entitlements.
* Aggrieved women always have recourse to the legal system if needed.
* **Current Implementation Status:**
* Nari Adalats are currently running in 50 Gram Panchayats each in Assam and Jammu & Kashmir, and in 10 Gram Panchayats in Sikkim and Mizoram.
* Nari Adalats have been approved for 10 Gram Panchayats in Karnataka, but they are not yet operational.
* **Evaluation:**
* NITI Aayog has evaluated the schemes of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, including Nari Adalat under Mission Shakti, for Financial Years 2019 to 2024.
**Impact Analysis**
**State Government and UT Administration**
* **Impact:** Responsible for implementing the Nari Adalat scheme within their jurisdictions.
* **Action Required:** Operationalize the Nari Adalat in the approved Gram Panchayats.
**Ministry of Women and Child Development**
* **Impact:** Oversees the Nari Adalat scheme under the Mission Shakti Mission.
* **Action Required:** Consider the findings of the NITI Aayog evaluation for future policy decisions.
**Aggrieved Women**
* **Impact:** Provided with an alternative dispute resolution mechanism at the Gram Panchayat level.
* **Action Required:** Utilize the Nari Adalat to seek reconciliation and redressal of grievances.
**NITI Aayog**
* **Impact:** Evaluating the schemes of the Ministry of Women and Child Development for Financial Years 2019 to 2024 including the Nari Adalat under the Sambal vertical of Mission Shakti.
* **Action Required:** Present the findings of evaluation report to the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
Key Entities Referenced
Nari Adalats: Pilot initiative for alternative dispute resolution, grievance redressal, counseling, and decision-making at Gram Panchayat level, aimed at addressing socio-economic and cultural challenges faced by women.
Mission Shakti: A mission under which Nari Adalats are being implemented as a pilot initiative. The 'Sambal' vertical of Mission Shakti includes Nari Adalat.
Ministry of Women and Child Development: The central ministry responsible for the Nari Adalat scheme and its implementation.
Karnataka: One of the states where Nari Adalats are being implemented as a pilot. Proposal received from the State Government of Karnataka to set up Nari Adalats in Dakshina Kannada district.
15th Finance Commission: The period covered by the 15th Finance Commission is relevant to the implementation of the Mission Shakti Mission, under which Nari Adalat has been introduced.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2368
TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.02.2026
NARI ADALATS
2368. SHRI CAPTAIN BRIJESH CHOWTA:
Will the Minister of Women and Child Development be pleased to state:
(a) the number of Nari Adalats established/under implementation, State-wise/district-wise
and whether Karnataka has been included under the pilot phase;
(b) whether any proposal/recommendation has been received from the Government of
Karnataka to set up Nari Adalats in Dakshina Kannada district, if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether any evaluation/review has been undertaken by the Ministry to assess the
performance, case disposal rate/community participation of said Adalats in pilot States;
and
(d) the details of the measures being taken to expand said Adalats across all districts, to
ensure convergence with One Stop Centres, Women Helplines and District Legal
Services Authorities for holistic grievance redressal?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)
(a) to (d): Nari Adalat has been introduced as a pilot initiative under the Sambal vertical of
Mission Shakti Mission in the 15th Finance Commission period. The scheme aims to offer
services such as alternative dispute resolution, grievance redressal, counselling, and decision-
making based on evidence at Gram Panchayat level. The scheme aims to tackle socio-economic
and cultural challenges faced by women in the area and provides dispute resolution through
mediation and referral to appropriate institutions such as One Stop Centre, Police Station,
District Legal Service Authority and Women Help Desk. The implementation of the scheme
lies with the State government and UT administration.There is no legal status given to the forum as the goal of Nari Adalat is reconciliation and
grievance redressal through mutual consent and creating awareness of rights and entitlements.
Any aggrieved woman shall always have recourse to legal mechanism also as per her need.
Presently, Nari Adalat is being run in 50 Gram Panchayats each in the State of Assam and UT
of Jammu & Kashmir and 10 Gram Panchayats in the State of Sikkim and Mizoram. Based on
the proposal received from the State Government of Karnataka, Nari Adalat have been
approved for 10 Gram Panchayats in the State; however, they are yet to be operationalised.
NITI Aayog has conducted an evaluation of the schemes of the Ministry of Women and Child
Development for Financial Years 2019 to 2024 including the Nari Adalat under the Sambal
vertical of Mission Shakti.
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