Question

Which Indian state is the first to conduct statewide Lok Adalat through video conferencing?

• A. Maharashtra
• B. Chhattisgarh
• C. Kerala
• D. West Bengal

Hint:

Remember Chhattisgarh as the legal tech pioneer that integrated virtual hearings at a grassroots level to create the first structured e-Lok Adalat platform in India during times of physical lockdown.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Concept: A Lok Adalat (People's Court) is one of the alternative dispute redressal mechanisms in India where disputes or cases pending in the court of law or at the pre-litigation stage are settled or compromised amicably. Under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, decisions made by Lok Adalats are deemed to be a civil court decree and are final and binding on all parties.

Step 1:
During the operational restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, access to physical courts was highly constrained. To bypass this bottleneck and reduce the massive backlog of litigation, the Chhattisgarh High Court and the Chhattisgarh State Legal Services Authority (SALSA) conceptualized and executed India's very first

e-Lok Adalat.

Step 2:
The statewide virtual event was inaugurated by the High Court Chief Justice. It enabled judges, advocates, and litigating parties to connect simultaneously across more than 200 benches over various districts through video conferencing interfaces. Litigants were able to settle thousands of pending judicial files (including compensation claims, family disputes, and petty criminal matters) directly from their homes or local common service kiosks. This milestone transformed Chhattisgarh into the pioneer state for statewide digital alternative dispute resolution.