Bhopal: In a move to bring mediation into the mainstream, the MP State Legal Services Authority (MPSLSA) has partnered with Dharmashastra National Law University, Jabalpur (DNLU) to roll out a three-month certificate course in mediation.The programme was formally launched on Friday by acting Chief Justice of the MP high court Justice Vivek Rusia, in the presence of Justices Anand Pathak and Vivek Agarwal.While delivering the keynote address, Justice Rusia underscored the transformative potential of mediation in reducing the burden of litigation on courts and empowering citizens to resolve disputes through dialogue and consensus. He commended the initiative as a meaningful step towards mainstreaming mediation in both legal education andeveryday dispute resolution.Justice Pathak spoke on the human dimensions of dispute resolution, stressing that mediation, by preserving relationships and dignity, offers a more humane and enduring path to justice than adversarial litigation.Justice Agarwal emphasised the need to nurture a culture of consensual dispute resolution and encouraged legal professionals to embrace mediation as a first resort rather than a last resort in resolving conflicts.Prof Manoj Kumar Sinha, vice-chancellor, DNLU, highlighted the university’s commitment to equipping legal professionals and students with practical ADR skills, and expressed confidence that the course would produce trained mediators capable of serving communities, courts, and institutions effectively.Suman Shrivastava, member secretary, MPSLSA, welcomed all the dignitaries, faculty members, students and set the context for the collaboration and highlighted the critical role of mediation in making justice more participatory and accessible to citizens across Madhya Pradesh.