Long-Awaited Mediation Council of India Established

In a significant step towards the implementation of India’s mediation framework, the Central Government has formally established the Mediation Council of India (MCI) under the Mediation Act, 2023.

The Ministry of Law and Justice, Department of Legal Affairs, issued Notification S.O. 4781(E) dated 27 August 2026, exercising the powers conferred by Section 31(1) of the Mediation Act, 2023. The notification establishes the Mediation Council of India for the purposes of the Act, with its head office in Delhi.

The establishment of the Council is a long-awaited milestone in implementing the Mediation Act. While the Act created the statutory framework for mediation in India in 2023, the Council is central to building the institutional and regulatory architecture envisaged under the legislation.

Under the Act, the Council is the principal statutory body for developing and regulating mediation in India. Its functions include promoting domestic and international mediation, developing India as a robust centre for mediation, laying down standards of professional and ethical conduct for mediators, providing for registration of mediators, recognising mediation institutes and mediation service providers, and promoting mediation education, training and certification.

For India’s mediation community, establishing the Mediation Council of India is a major step toward developing mediation as an organised, professional, and credible dispute-resolution mechanism across the country.