Lok Adalat literally means Peoples Court
It is a forum where disputes/cases pending in the court or at pre-litigation stage are settled/ compromised amicably. (compoundable offences)
The award (decision) made by the Lok Adalats is deemed to be a decree of a civil court and is final and binding on all parties and no appeal against such an award lies before any court of law. Generally , award given usually out of mutual consent of the two parties
If the parties are not satisfied with the award of the Lok Adalat though there is no provision for an appeal against such an award, but they are free to initiate litigation by approaching the court of appropriate jurisdiction by filing a case by following the required procedure, in exercise of their right to litigate.
Features

No court fee payable when a matter is filed in a Lok Adalat.
Even the fee paid in the court is redeemed if the cases are settled in Adalats
Members of the Lok Adalats(who decides cases in Lok Adalat) , they have the role of statutory conciliators only and do not have any judicial role [Lok Adalat is non-adjudicatory (conciliatory) in nature but the proceedings are deemed to be judicial proceedings]
Permanent Lok Adalat both conciliatory and adjudicatory jurisdiction
Offences which are non-compoundable under any law are out of the purview of Lok Adalat

Lok Adalat is an old form of adjudicating system prevailed in ancient India
Since the Indian courts are overburdened with heavy backlog of cases and even the petty cases takes years to resolve, Lok Adal ats provide alternative resolution devices for expedious and inexpensive justice

Lok Adalats have been given statutory status under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
Under the act, the following provisions are available for Lok Adalats

SC Legal Services Committee or HC Legal Service Committee or State Legal Services Authority or District Legal Services Authority or Taluk Legal Services Committee [Note: NALSA is not present] may organise Lok Adalats at such intervals and places and for exercising such jurisdiction and for such areas as it thinks fit
Composition

Every Lok Adalat organized for an area shall consists of such number of serving or retired judicial officer and other persons of the area as may be specified by the agency organizing such Lok Adalat
Generally, Lok Adalat consists of a Judicial officer as the chairman and a lawyer and a social worker as members

Any matter which is falling within the jurisdiction of any court and is not brought before such court [Pre-litigation cases]

Matrimonial/family disputes, Land Acquisition cases, Labour disputes, Workmen's compensation cases, Bank recovery cases, Pension cases, Housing Board and Slum clearance cases, Housing finance cases, Consumer Grievance cases, Electricity, telephone matters, municipal matters, disputes with Cellular companies etc.
Criminal (Compoundable offence) Cases
Non Compoundable offences which are under any law are outside the purview of Lok Adalats

The parties thereof agree to settle the dispute in Lok Adalat
One of the parties thereof makes an application to the court, for referring the case to Lok Adalat
Court is satisfied that the matter is an appropriate one to be taken cognizance of by the Lok Adalat
In case of Pre-litigation disputes, matter referred to Lok Adalats either by agency organising Lok Adalat or by the party submitting application

Lok Adalats shall have requisite powers to specify its own procedure for the determination of any dispute
All proceedings of Lok Adalat shall be deemed to be Judicial Proceedings within the meaning of IPC 1960
Have same powers as that of Civil Court under Civil Procedure Code CPC 1908
Have same powers as that of Civil Court under Criminal Procedure Code CrPC 1973

An award of Lok Adalat shall be deemed to be a decree of civil court or an order of any other court
Every award made by the court shall be final and binding on all the parties to the dispute
No appeal shall lie to any court against the award of Lok Adalat [However, can initiate litigation in courts]

Parivarik Mahila Lok Adalats PMLA

Evolved by National Commission for Women [Not Ministry of Law and Justice]
For redressal and speedy disposal of matters related to family and marriage issues.
Process

PMLA works on Lok Adalat model.
The NCW provides financial assistance to NGOs or State Women Commissions or State Legal Service Authority to organize the Parivarik Mahila Lok Adalat.
The NGOs approach the DLSA or District Judge and collect information about pending cases of family disputes within the district.
Then the DLSA selects women related cases which are admissible in the Lok Adalat, and makes relevant files/case papers available to the NGOs.
NGOs through their counsellors approach the parties and start counselling prior to the date of the PMLA to bring them to settlement.
If settlement occurs then the settlement will be noted down on paper in each case and the signatures of both the parties must be obtained on the document which will be presented before PMLA for its legal authentication.
Later the NGOs will organise PMLA on the specified date on which the cases will be brought up for settlement
The District Judge will appoint a Presiding Officer, for the PMLA, who should be a Judge and two or more members who can be judges, advocates or social activists.

Permanent Lok Adalats

Legal Service Authority Act, 1987 amended in 2002 to provide for establishment of Permanent Lok Adalat
Genesis

One of the major drawback is that the Lok Adalat System is based on the compromise/settlement b/w the parties of the dispute. If the parties do not arrive at any compromise or settlement, case is either returned to court of law which defies the purpose of Lok Adalats.
Therefore, If Lok Adalats are given power to decide on the merits of the cases, in case if the parties are failed to arrive at compromise or settlement, this problem can be solved to a large extent

Also, for disputes relating to public utility services, a requirement felt to settle those disputes without delay so as to provide justice to people and also reduce workload of regular courts.

Chairman and two members
Chairman - District judge or additional judge or judicial office higher in rank than that of district judge
Members - Adequate experience in public utility services

In respect of public utility services such as transport services, services in hospitals or dispensaries and insurance services
Jurisdiction upto 10 lakhs and GOI empowered to increase the said limit from time to time

After the dispute referred/applied to Permanent Lok Adalat, no party shall invoke jurisdiction of any court in the same dispute
Award

Lok Adalat forms the possible settlement and submit to the parties. If parties fails to agree, then the Adalat shall decide the dispute on merit