New Delhi, May 3: President Droupadi Murmu has urged for legally empowering Panchayats to mediate and resolve disputes at the village level, stressing that social harmony in rural areas is vital for a strong nation.
Speaking at the first national conference on mediation, she highlighted the lack of legal backing for village mediators, which hinders the effective settlement of local disputes.
She emphasized the need to institutionalize village-level mediation to ease the burden on courts and promote harmony. Murmu called the Mediation Act, 2023 a step toward reviving India’s traditional conflict resolution systems and pushing forward the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal echoed her views, promoting the mantra “more mediate, less litigate,” while CJI Sanjiv Khanna launched the Mediation Association of India to support the Act’s implementation.
