Indore, March 14: In a significant initiative aimed at fostering inclusive access to justice, the Madhya Pradesh State Legal Services Authority (MPSLSA) has launched a five-day mediation training program specifically for professionals with hearing impairments and sign language interpreters in Indore, starting on Saturday.
The training program is being organized under the aegis of the Supreme Court's Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee (MCPC).
According to a statement from the Madhya Pradesh State Legal Services Authority, this is India's first physical 40-hour mediation training program specifically for professionals with hearing impairments and sign language interpreters.
The initiative has been launched under the supervision of Madhya Pradesh's Chief Justice, Sanjeev Sachdeva, and under the guidance of Justice Vivek Rusia, Administrative Judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court and Executive Chairman of the Madhya Pradesh State Legal Services Authority.
The training program was inaugurated by Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla, Judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court and Chairman of the High Court Legal Services Committee in Indore.
Justice Shukla remarked that mediation is one of the most humane and participatory modes of delivering justice, wherein lasting solutions are achieved through dialogue and mutual understanding rather than through confrontation.
He emphasized that the justice delivery system must continuously evolve to ensure that the benefits of dispute resolution mechanisms reach every section of society.
"Providing mediation training to professionals with hearing impairments and sign language interpreters constitutes a pivotal step in this direction, making the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism more inclusive and accessible," he said.
Suman Srivastava, Member Secretary of the Madhya Pradesh State Legal Services Authority, on this occasion, highlighting the significance of this initiative, noted that mediation does not always necessitate the use of spoken words, as true communication often evolves through patience, trust, and sensitivity.
"This training program is being organized with the objective of equipping hearing-impaired participants with the requisite knowledge and practical skills for the amicable resolution of disputes," she said.
Srivastava shared that the forty-hour training course, participants will receive structured instruction covering the philosophy of mediation, communication techniques, negotiation skills, conflict analysis, mediator ethics, and practical mediation exercises.
"Participants are also being familiarised with the legal framework of mediation in India, which includes an overview of the principles enshrined under Section 89 of the Code of Civil Procedure, as well as the professional standards expected of mediators," she said.
The training program was attended by Anup Kumar Tripathi (Principal Registrar of Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court), Shivraj Singh Gawli (Indore District Legal Services Authority Secretary), Aniruddha Jain (Madhya Pradesh State Legal Services Authority Deputy Secretary), and Deepak Sharma (District Legal Aid Officer).