Question

Lok Adalats have been created under:

• A. Arbitration and Conciliation Act
• B. Legal Services Authority Act
• C. $73^{\text{rd}}$ Amendment of the Constitution
• D. Ombudsman Act

Hint:

Key legal feature of Lok Adalat: No court fee is levied. If a case pending in a court is referred to a Lok Adalat and settled, the original court fee paid is refunded back to the parties. Furthermore, its decisions are non-appealable to avoid extending the litigation cycle.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Concept: *Lok Adalat* (literally meaning "People's Court") is an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism originating in India. It serves as a forum where disputes or cases pending in a court of law, or those at a pre-litigation stage, are settled amicably through compromise and conciliation.

Step 1: Tracking the statutory origin of Lok Adalats.
While the concept of Lok Adalats was initially practiced on an informal, voluntary basis (the first informal Lok Adalat was held in Gujarat in 1982), it was granted formal statutory status to ensure its decrees had legal weight. This statutory framework was established under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.

Step 2: Analyzing the provisions of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
Chapter VI of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 (specifically Sections 19, 20, 21, and 22) deals directly with the organization, jurisdiction, and powers of Lok Adalats:

• Section 19: Mandates the organization of Lok Adalats by State, District, or Taluk Legal Services Committees.

• Section 21: Explicitly states that an award passed by a Lok Adalat shall be deemed to be a decree of a civil court or an order of any other court. Crucially, the award is final and binding on all parties, and no appeal lies before any court against such an award.

Step 3: Distinguishing other options.
* The *Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996* deals with formal domestic and international commercial dispute resolution, not Lok Adalats. * The *$73^{\text{rd}}$ Amendment* establishes Panchayati Raj institutions. * The *Ombudsman Act* creates anti-corruption bodies like Lokpal and Lokayuktas. Therefore, the Legal Services Authority Act is the parent statute creating Lok Adalats.