In which of the following States of India the first-ever E-Lok Adalat was started during the COVID-19 period ?
- (a)Uttar Pradesh
- (b)Maharashtra
- (c)Chhattisgarh
- (d)Bihar
Correct — C, Chhattisgarh. Per the official key, Chhattisgarh (through its State Legal Services Authority) held India's first-ever e-Lok Adalat during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, using video-conferencing to settle disputes when physical courts and Lok Adalats could not sit. The e-Lok Adalat carried the normal legal force of a Lok Adalat while keeping proceedings contactless during the pandemic. (The answer is fixed by the key; the exact launch date is not asserted here.)
- (a)Uttar Pradesh — UP was not credited with India's first e-Lok Adalat; per the key that distinction went to Chhattisgarh.
- (b)Maharashtra — Maharashtra was not the state that started the first e-Lok Adalat during the pandemic in this question's framing.
- (d)Bihar — Bihar was not the first; the official key marks Chhattisgarh as the state that pioneered the e-Lok Adalat during COVID-19.
A Lok Adalat ('People's Court') is a statutory alternative-dispute-resolution forum under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, giving effect to the Article 39A directive of free legal aid. Its award is deemed a decree of a civil court, is final, and no appeal lies against it. The legal-aid machinery is tiered: NALSA at the apex, then State Legal Services Authorities (SLSA), District Legal Services Authorities (DLSA) and Taluka Legal Services Committees. During COVID-19, states moved these hearings online — the 'e-Lok Adalat' — to keep dispute resolution running while courts were physically shut.
This is a pandemic-era current-affairs recall. The concept to hold on to is what a Lok Adalat is and why 'e' mattered in 2020 (contactless, video-conference proceedings during lockdown). The state credited with the first such e-Lok Adalat, per the official key, is Chhattisgarh; a candidate should anchor the answer to the key rather than to a specific date.
- Lok Adalats operate under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 (giving effect to Article 39A)
- A Lok Adalat award is deemed a civil-court decree, is final, and cannot be appealed
- Legal-aid tiers: NALSA (apex) → State (SLSA) → District (DLSA) → Taluka committees
- During COVID-19, hearings shifted online as 'e-Lok Adalats'; per the key, Chhattisgarh started the first
Lok Adalats are organised by the Legal Services Authorities (Act of 1987). In 2020 they went online as 'e-Lok Adalats' — Chhattisgarh (per the key) held the first.
- Assuming a big state (UP/Maharashtra) must be 'first' — the key credits Chhattisgarh
- Forgetting that a Lok Adalat award is final and non-appealable (deemed a civil decree)
UPPSC asks 'which state first' as current affairs; UPSC probes the concept — the statutory basis, finality of the award, and the Article 39A link. Know both.
With reference to Lok Adalats, consider the following statements : 1. An award made by a Lok Adalat is deemed to be a decree of a civil court and no appeal lies against thereto before any court. 2. Matrimonial/Family disputes are not covered under Lok Adalat. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer(a) 1 only
Same concept — Lok Adalats. UPPSC asks which state started the first e-Lok Adalat (Chhattisgarh); UPSC tests the institution itself — that its award is a final, non-appealable civil decree, and that it does cover family disputes.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Under which Act are Lok Adalats organised in India?
- (a)Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987
- (b)Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996
- (c)Code of Civil Procedure, 1908
- (d)Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008
Answer(a) Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 — it also gives effect to the Article 39A directive on free legal aid.
- practice — not a real PYQ
An award made by a Lok Adalat is:
- (a)Appealable to the High Court
- (b)Deemed a decree of a civil court and final
- (c)Only a recommendation to the parties
- (d)Valid only if a magistrate ratifies it
Answer(b) Deemed a decree of a civil court and final — no appeal lies against a Lok Adalat award.