With reference of 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 codes given below:

The correct answer is B, that only statement 2 is correct.

The core concept is the Gram Nyayalaya Act, 2008, which set up local courts at the grassroots to give affordable and quick access to justice. Statement 1 is wrong. Gram Nyayalayas have both civil and criminal jurisdiction, as listed in the Act's schedules. Their criminal jurisdiction covers offences under the schedules, and they are not limited to civil disputes. Statement 2 is correct. The Act lets the Nyayalaya use mediators and conciliators, and it allows local social activists and respected persons to serve in that role, which fits its aim of settling disputes locally.

For Mains, this connects to access to justice and the debate on judicial pendency. Gram Nyayalayas are an attempt to bring courts closer to rural people, though their functioning across states has been uneven, so check the current position before writing about them.

Trap: Aspirants often assume that a lower court dealing with village disputes must be limited to civil matters. The Act deliberately gives them criminal jurisdiction as well.