New Delhi: The Supreme Court’s Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee (MCPC) has initiated the second round of ‘Mediation for Nation drive’ during which cases that can potentially be settled shall be referred to mediators for an amicable resolution.
This is a follow-up to the earlier round between July and September 2025, which saw resolution of one lakh out of five lakh cases that were referred for mediation—a first such campaign to popularise mediation as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism. This was done under the supervision of Chief Justice of India Suryakant when he headed the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).
The five lakh cases were chosen out of 1.68 crore that had potential for settlement.
Matrimonial cases involving divorce and custody battles formed the largest share of the one lakh cases settled during the three-month drive.
For the second round, the MCPC has received data of over 2.33 crore cases (with the potential for mediation) pending in all high courts as well as district courts.
Last week, Supreme Court judge Justice Vikram Nath, who is now the chairman of NALSA as well as the MCPC, held detailed deliberations with high court judges who are in charge of mediation in their own respective jurisdictions and asked them to initiate the referral process.
ThePrint has learnt that HC judges were told to take assistance from law professors or retired judges to select matters form the 2.33 crore cases that have an element of settlement.
Importantly, Justice Nath also asked HC judges to invoke Rule 3 of the Mediation and Conciliation Rules to use the services of retired judges and experts from other fields and designate them mediators and mark them cases during the drive. This suggestion was made considering there are not sufficient trained mediators to handle cases.
“To become a trained mediator, one has to undergo MCPC’s training programme. However, since mediation is still at a very nascent stage, we don’t have enough experienced trained mediators who can provide assistance in settling the matters. Therefore, the HC judges have been asked to explore the possibility of hiring the services of experts such as those who have worked in the insurance field or former bureaucrats who have knowledge of service law for this drive,” a Supreme Court official aware of the development told ThePrint.
According to the official, the identification process has to end on 15 February and references have to be made simultaneously.
Since it’s a 90-day drive, every HC will have to send category-wise data of cases settled after the end of one month to the MCPC, which will analyse the empirical data and undertake an exercise of “mid-way course correction”. After receiving the final data, the Centre will work on a strategy to popularise mediation.
Justice Nath also emphasised the need to pay an honorarium to mediators even if the parties are unable to resolve the matter.
Of the 2.33 crore cases that have been segregated as those that could possibly be settled, more than 80 lakh are under the cheque bouncing category. Over 20 lakh are matrimonial cases, while motor accident claim cases are at a little over 12.71 lakh.
More than 50 lakh criminal compoundable cases and 48 lakh civil cases, where settlement is possible, are also part of the 2.33 crore matters.
Besides, there are also land acquisition cases, partition suits—mostly involving family disputes—eviction cases, commercial disputes and service matters that are likely to be referred for mediation.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also read: SC panel-NALSA mediation drive: 1 lakh cases resolved, matrimonial disputes make up biggest chunk