Launch of Community Mediation Training Module
At the inaugural programme the Prime Minister will launch the Community Mediation Training Module prepared by NALSA. The module is intended to strengthen local dispute resolution capacity and expand community-level mediation, reducing case backlogs and making justice more accessible at the grassroots.
NALSA’s training curriculum for community mediation aims to equip para-legal volunteers, panel lawyers and local mediators with practical skills in negotiation, conflict resolution and legal ethics. The initiative aligns with broader efforts to decentralise dispute resolution and enhance the capacity of legal services institutions nationwide.
Two-day agenda: Key themes and discussions
The conference will deliberate core elements of India’s legal aid framework, including the Legal Aid Defence Counsel System, the role and management of panel lawyers, strategies to better deploy para-legal volunteers, and the functioning of permanent Lok Adalats.
Sessions will also focus on financial management and accountability within legal services institutions — a critical area for ensuring transparent use of public funds and timely delivery of legal assistance. Experts, administrative heads and judicial representatives will share best practices and propose reforms to strengthen institutional delivery mechanisms.
Expected participants and outcomes
Delegates are expected to include senior judges, representatives from state legal services authorities, members of the Bar, NGO leaders, academic experts and policymakers. The conference aims to produce actionable recommendations for enhancing legal aid outreach, improving counselling and legal literacy programmes, and expanding community mediation networks.
By promoting community mediation and more efficient legal aid delivery, organisers hope to reduce the burden on formal courts and provide faster, locally accessible remedies for routine disputes — especially for vulnerable and marginalised groups.
Why this matters: Access to justice and decongesting courts
India’s legal system faces significant pendency; strengthening legal aid delivery is central to ensuring equitable access to justice. Community mediation and robust defence counsel systems can help resolve disputes early, protect legal rights, and reduce delays that disproportionately affect the poor and disadvantaged.
Experts say that institutional reforms coupled with capacity building for para-legal volunteers and panel lawyers will create more resilient legal aid ecosystems across states and union territories.
Organisers and references
The conference is organised by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), which coordinates legal aid activities across India. For more information on NALSA’s.
