By Ashok K Pandey
On November 8, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a national conference on ‘Strengthening Legal Aid Delivery Mechanisms’ at the Supreme Court. The PM stressed that India’s legal system must draw inspiration from its ancient roots, favouring dialogue and consensus over confrontation. He shared that nearly 800,000 criminal cases have been resolved in the last three years through the Legal Aid Defence Counsel System, demonstrating a quiet revolution in justice delivery that holds meaning for another sacred institution: our schools.
The climate of trust
The sacred trust between teacher, learner, and parent is now under stress. Litigation involving schools and teachers has multiplied, with incidents once resolved through conversation now leading to police cases – from a school bus accident to a fee non-payment issue. Principals are being arrested for mishaps they neither intended nor could have prevented. Teachers live in anxiety, and parents feel unheard, clouding the educational climate with fear and suspicion.
Dialogue as justice
The PM’s call to revive dialogue as the foundation of justice invites a parallel transformation in education. If millions of disputes can be resolved among citizens through compassion and conversation, we must bring the same spirit to our schools. We can create mechanisms like a trust circle – a space for teachers, parents, and students to discuss grievances, listen, and seek reconciliation. The goal is not to win, but to heal the wound of dispute.
A call to action
The legal services authorities promote early, good-faith mediation and are approaching schools to sensitise students and teachers. These interventions should become a lived experience. Voluntary sittings to resolve school-level disputes save time, preserve relationships, and reduce costs. This habit of mediation before litigation can restore trust and lighten the load on the justice system.
Accountability
This is not about shielding wrongdoing; when negligence or harm occurs, due process must proceed. Justice must be firm with wrongdoing and generous with understanding. We urge schools and families to try a structured space for listening and restoration before adversarial conflict begins. True justice lies in learning, reconciliation, and growth.
Culture of learning justice
If the legal system seeks renewal through India’s timeless wisdom, our education system must rediscover its own roots in dialogue and compassion. Every school should become a place where justice is lived each day, in the tone of the teacher and the dignity offered to every child. When fear gives way to faith, and suspicion to understanding, we will reclaim what was once sacred in learning.
The author is fellow, Global Peace Foundation