New Delhi, May 3 -- President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday said that Mediation Act, 2023, was the first step in consolidating the civilisational legacy.

The president was addressing the First National Mediation Conference 2025 in New Delhi.

"Now we need to add momentum to it and strengthen its practice. She emphasised that the dispute resolution mechanism under the Mediation Act should be effectively extended to rural areas so that the Panchayats are legally empowered to mediate and resolve the conflicts in villages. Social harmony in villages is an essential prerequisite of making the nation strong," President said.

The President said that mediation is an essential part of the delivery of justice, which is at the heart of the Constituti...