The third session of Day 2 of the 2nd National Mediation Conference focused on the theme “Mediation in State Litigations.”
The session was chaired by Justice Aravind Kumar, Judge of the Supreme Court of India, and co-chaired by Justice Sunita Agarwal, Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court, and Justice Nitin Jamdar, Chief Justice of Kerala High Court.
Speakers emphasized that amicably mediated and mutually respected decisions are essential to strengthening government mechanisms. Officers were urged to act as state facilitators rather than rule-makers, with an emphasis on early dispute resolution.
Key discussion points included:
-
Strengthening government dispute management mechanisms
-
Role of mediation in policy implementation and public interest matters
-
Capacity building for government officers and legal representatives
-
Best practices and case studies of successful state mediations
-
Early settlement of service and employment disputes involving the State
-
Resolution of contractual and infrastructure project disputes
-
Addressing recurring disputes between citizens and government agencies
Other participants included Justice Ashutosh Kumar (Chief Justice, Gauhati High Court), Justice Arindam Sinha (Judge, Allahabad High Court), Justice C. Harishankar (Judge, Delhi High Court), Justice Gopinath Puzhankara (Judge, Kerala High Court), Advocate General Sudarshan Reddy (Telangana), and senior mediator R. Santhaan Krishnan.
Panelists also cited landmark judgments related to mediation in state disputes and highlighted the need for capacity building to reduce litigation burden on courts.
