With reference to the ‘Gram Nyayalaya Act’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- 1.As per the Act, Gram Nyayalayas can hear only civil cases and not criminal cases.
- 2.The Act allows local social activists as mediators/reconciliators.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 2 only
Under the Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008 the village courts hear both civil and criminal cases, so statement 1 is wrong. The Act does let village-level social workers act as conciliators, so statement 2 is correct.
- ✗ 1. Section 11 says a Gram Nyayalaya exercises both civil and criminal jurisdiction, in the manner and to the extent the Act provides.
- ✓ 2. Section 27 has the District Court prepare a panel of village-level social workers of integrity to serve as Conciliators, and the Gram Nyayalaya is to try to settle disputes by conciliation.
Remember · Gram Nyayalayas (Act of 2008) are village courts with both civil and criminal jurisdiction, and they use village-level social workers as conciliators.
Sources
- Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008, Section 11 (India Code, archived copy) ↗ “the Gram Nyayalaya shall exercise both civil and criminal jurisdiction in the manner and to the extent provided under this Act. … the District Court shall, in consultation with the District Magistrate, prepare a panel consisting of the names of social workers at the village level having integrity for appointment as Conciliators”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2016, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·