In which of the following States of India the first-ever E-Lok Adalat was started during the COVID-19 period?

The answer is Chhattisgarh. During the 2020 lockdown, the Chhattisgarh State Legal Services Authority held an e-Lok Adalat through video conferencing, and press and NALSA-linked reports credit it with the first such sitting. Treat the 'first' claim as based on those reports, not on any statute.

The core concept is the Lok Adalat under Section 19 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. Its awards are deemed decrees of a civil court (Section 21), are final, and cannot be appealed. E-Lok Adalat is simply the same mechanism run online, so the legal effect does not change.

Why the others are weaker: Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bihar also ran virtual or online Lok Adalats during the pandemic, so none of them has a clear claim to being first. The UPPSC question tests the news-based fact, so check the exact sitting date and body before you rely on it.

Mains connection: access to justice and the use of technology in the judiciary during COVID-19, which links to Article 39A and the e-courts project.

Trap: confusing the Section 19 Lok Adalat with the permanent Lok Adalat under Section 22B, which handles public utility services and has a different structure.