PIB TrackerLaw Ministry's 'Reforms Utsav' ends at Mount Abu with a 'Sankalp Patra' for a future-ready legal system
A two-day 'Reforms Utsav & Chintan Shivir 2026' by the Ministry of Law & Justice concluded at Mount Abu with the adoption of a 'Sankalp Patra' (Mount Abu Declaration) — a shared roadmap for a future-ready, technology-enabled, citizen-centric legal ecosystem for Viksit Bharat @2047.
What happened
- A two-day 'Reforms Utsav & Chintan Shivir 2026' by the Ministry of Law & Justice concluded at Gyan Sarovar, Mount Abu.
- It was organised jointly by the Department of Legal Affairs and the Legislative Department, and ended with the adoption of a 'Sankalp Patra' (Mount Abu Declaration).
- The declaration envisions a future-ready, technology-enabled and citizen-centric legal ecosystem for Viksit Bharat @2047.
- The valedictory 'Sankalp Session' — 'Convergence, Accountability and a Shared Reform Roadmap' — consolidated four breakout sessions on legislative modernisation, digital transformation, litigation management and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
- Law Minister Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal said delayed justice locks up national resources and impedes economic progress; Dr. Rajiv Mani led the adoption of the declaration.
For Prelims
- Ministry of Law & Justice: Has three departments — the Department of Legal Affairs, the Legislative Department, and the Department of Justice.
- Department of Justice: Runs the eCourts Mission Mode Project and the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) — key to digital transformation and reducing pendency.
- ADR: Alternative Dispute Resolution — arbitration, conciliation, mediation and Lok Adalats — eases court pendency; the Mediation Act, 2023 institutionalised mediation.
- Chintan Shivir: A brainstorming/reflection conclave of officials to shape policy; here it produced the 'Sankalp Patra' (Mount Abu Declaration).
- MoS (Independent Charge): Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal holds Law & Justice as Minister of State with Independent Charge.
- Viksit Bharat @2047: The vision of a developed India by the centenary of Independence, invoked here for a modern legal ecosystem.
- Don't confuse: A 'Sankalp Patra'/declaration is a resolution/roadmap, not a law; judicial reforms via ADR/eCourts are administrative, distinct from constitutional amendments.
For UPSC: Frame this as executive-led judicial and legislative reform — tackling pendency and access to justice through legislative modernisation, digital transformation (eCourts/NJDG) and ADR, with the economic cost of delayed justice as the driver. Anchor the three departments of the Law Ministry, the Department of Justice's eCourts/NJDG, the Mediation Act 2023 and ADR mechanisms, and the balance of speed, accountability and citizen-centricity in the justice system.
What it is NOT: This is a policy-brainstorming conclave that adopted a non-binding 'Sankalp Patra'/roadmap, not a new law or a judicial verdict. It reflects the executive (Law Ministry) side of reform — legislative drafting, legal affairs and justice delivery — not the judiciary's own administration. eCourts is analyst context for 'digital transformation', not a term the release itself uses.
For Mains
Syllabus: GS2.6 · GS2.15 · Linkage L2
Anchor
Reforming the justice system for speed and access — legislative modernisation, digital transformation and ADR to cut pendency, framed by the economic cost of delayed justice.
Substantiation (data)
'Reforms Utsav & Chintan Shivir 2026' (Depts of Legal Affairs & Legislative) concludes at Mount Abu with a 'Sankalp Patra' (Mount Abu Declaration) for a future-ready, tech-enabled, citizen-centric legal ecosystem; four breakout sessions; Law Minister Meghwal on justice delay and economic cost.
Exemplification
Concrete reform tracks — legislative modernisation, digital transformation (eCourts/NJDG-type tools), litigation management and ADR (mediation under the Mediation Act 2023).
Problematisation
Huge case pendency, procedural delays and access barriers impose economic and social costs; reforms must overcome capacity gaps, uneven digital infrastructure and the executive-judiciary coordination challenge.
Way-forward
Modernise laws, scale eCourts/NJDG and ADR, improve litigation management (including government as the largest litigant), and institutionalise accountability and a shared reform roadmap.
Position
Government stance: a convergent, accountable and technology-enabled legal ecosystem is essential to timely justice and to Viksit Bharat @2047.
Deploys into: Structure & functioning of the executive and judiciary (GS2.6 executive & judiciary — judicial reforms & pendency) · governance and e-governance in justice delivery (GS2.15 e-governance — eCourts/NJDG) · ADR and the Mediation Act 2023, legislative modernisation, and access to justice.
Ministry of Law & Justice · 2026-07-05 · PRID 2281391 · PIB source ↗