The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee called alternate methods of dispute settlement as the need of the hour. He was speaking at the inaugural function of the National District Mediation Conference organized by the Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee of the Supreme Court of India today (November 10, 2012)

The President said that only if Alternative Dispute Resolution becomes an integral part of the Indian justice delivery system will the welfare of the common man in India be safe guarded.

The President said people should be encouraged to take first recourse to mediation rather than litigation. In this regard the District Courts and Judiciary can and must play a major role. They need to be able to convince litigants that mediation offers benefits with a human touch. It has no winners or losers. It has no limitations or restrictions. It is a pragmatic and flexible path that is in the interest of everyone involved.

Justice Altamas Kabir, Chief Justice of Supreme Court of India and Shri Salman Khurshid, Union Minister of External Affairs also participated in the function.

This release issued at 1340 hrs