Lok Sabha Question No. 471 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-02-05
Subject: District Courts
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Omprakash Bhupalsinh alias Pawan Rajenimbalkar, Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LAW & JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 471

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, THE 05 th  FEBRUARY, 2020.

## District Courts

## 471. SHRI OMPRAKASH BHUPALSINH alias PAWAN RAJENIMBALKAR SHRI SANJAY JADHAV:

## Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  number of district courts, district-wise, across the country including the State of Maharashtra and number of cases pending in those courts at present;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  proposes  a  new  plan  to  provide  justice  to  people related to those pending cases; and
- (c) if so, the details  thereof ?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF LAW & JUSTICE, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

- (a)  :      The  District  and  Subordinate  Courts  are  set  up  by  the  State  Governments  in consultation with concerned High Courts. As per information available on the web-portal of National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) as on date, there are 3206 Court Complexes in 633 Districts in the country. As per information available on the web-portal of National Judicial  Data  Grid  (NJDG)  as  on  29.01.2020,  about  3.19  crore  cases  are  pending  in various  District  and  Subordinate  Courts.  Statement  of  number  of  pending  cases  in District and Subordinate Courts as on 29.01.2020 is given in the Annexure.
- (b) & (c): Disposal of cases in courts is within the domain of the judiciary. Government has  no  role  in  disposal  of  cases  in  courts.    However,  the  Union  Government  is committed  to  speedy  disposal  of  cases  and  reduction  in  pendency  of  cases.  The

National  Mission for  Justice  Delivery  and  Legal  Reforms  has  adopted  many  strategic initiatives, including improving infrastructure [court halls and residential units] for Judicial Officers of District and Subordinate Courts, leveraging Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for better justice delivery, filling up of vacant positions of Judges in High Courts and Supreme Court, reduction in pendency through follow up by Arrears Committees  at  District,  High  Court  and  Supreme  Court  level,  emphasis  on  Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) and initiatives to fast track special type of cases. The major steps taken during the last five years under various initiatives are as follows:

- (a) Improving infrastructure for Judicial Officers of District and Subordinate Courts: As on date, Rs. 7,453.10 crores have been released since the inception of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for Development of Infrastructure Facilities for Judiciary in 1993-94. Out of this, Rs.4,008.80 crores (which is 53.79% of the total amount released till date) have been released to the States and UTs since April,  2014.  The  number  of  court  halls  has  increased  from  15,818  as  on 30.06.2014  to  19,632  as  on  29.01.2020  and  number  of  residential  units  has increased from 10,211 as on 30.06.2014 to 17,412 as on 29.01.2020 under this scheme.  In  addition,  2,713  court  halls  and  1,893  residential  units  are  under construction.
- (b) Leveraging  Information  and  Communication  Technology  (ICT)  for  improved justice delivery: Government has been implementing the e-Courts Mission Mode Project  throughout  the  country  for  Information  and  Communication  Technology enablement of district and subordinate courts.  Number of computerized District &  Subordinate  courts  has  increased  from  13,672  to  16,845  registering  an increase of 3,173 during 2014 till date.  New and user-friendly version of Case Information Software has been developed and deployed at all the computerized District and Subordinate Courts.  All stakeholders including Judicial Officers can access  information  relating  to  judicial  proceedings/decisions  of  computerized District & Subordinate Courts and High Courts on the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG). Currently, case status information in respect of over 12.97 crore pending and disposed cases and more than 11.15 crore orders / judgments pertaining to these  computerized  courts  is  available  on  NJDG.  eCourts  services  such  as
- details of case registration, cause list, case status, daily orders & final judgments are  available  to  litigants  and  advocates  through  eCourts  web  portal,  Judicial Service  Centres  (JSC)  in  all  computerized  courts,  eCourts  Mobile  App,  email service, SMS push & pull services. Video Conferencing facility has been enabled between 3240 court complexes and 1272 corresponding jails.
- (c) Filling  up  of  vacant  positions  in  Supreme  Court,  High  Courts  and  District  and Subordinate Courts: From 01.05.2014 to 30.01.2020, 35 Judges were appointed in Supreme Court. 515 new Judges were appointed and 435 Additional Judges were made permanent in the High Courts. Sanctioned strength of Judges of High Courts has been increased from 906 in May, 2014 to 1079 currently. Sanctioned and working strength of Judicial Officers in District and Subordinate Courts has increased as follows:
- (d) Reduction in Pendency through / follow up by Arrears Committees: In pursuance of  resolution  passed  in  Chief  Justices'  Conference  held  in  April,  2015,  Arrears Committees have been set up in High Courts to clear cases pending for more than five years.  Arrears Committees have been set up under District Judges too. Arrears Committee has been constituted in the Supreme Court to formulate steps to reduce pendency of cases in High Courts and District Courts.
- (e) Emphasis on Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR): Commercial Courts Act, 2015 (as amended on 20 th August, 2018) stipulates mandatory pre-institution mediation and settlement of commercial disputes. Amendment to the Arbitration and  Conciliation  Act,  1996  has  been  made  by  the  Arbitration  and  Conciliation (Amendment)  Act  2015  for  expediting  the  speedy  resolution  of  disputes  by prescribing timelines.
- (f)  Initiatives  to  Fast  Track  Special  Type  of  Cases:  The  Fourteenth  Finance Commission endorsed the proposal of the Government to strengthen the judicial system  in  States  which  included,  inter-alia,  establishing  Fast  Track  Courts  for

| As on      | Sanctioned Strength   | Working Strength   |
|------------|-----------------------|--------------------|
| 31.12.2013 | 19,518                | 15,115             |
| 29.01.2020 | 23,782                | 18,812             |

cases of heinous crimes; cases involving senior citizens, women, children etc., and urged the State Governments to use the additional fiscal space provided in the form of enhanced  tax devolution form 32%  to 42%  to meet such requirements.  As  on  30.09.2019,  704  Fast  Track  Courts  are  functional  for heinous  crimes,  crimes  against  women  and  children,  family  and  matrimonial disputes, etc. To fast track criminal cases involving elected MPs / MLAs, ten (10) Special  Courts  are  functional  in  nine  (9)  States  (1  each  in  Madhya  Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and 2 in NCT of Delhi) and proportionate funds have been released to these States by the Government. Further, Government has approved a  scheme  for  setting  up  1023  Fast  Track  Special  Courts  (FTSCs)  across  the country for expeditious disposal of pending cases of Rape under IPC and crimes under POCSO Act. As on date, 26 States/UTs have joined the scheme for setting up of 648 FTSCs including 363 exclusive POCSO courts. Rs.99.35 crore (out of the  total  allocation  of  Rs.100  crore)  has  already  been  released  as  the  first installment to these 26 States.

## ***********

Annexure Details of cases pending in the District & Subordinate Courts, State-wise [as on 29.01.2020]

| Sl. No   | Name of States/UTs   | Total Districts   | Total Court Complexes   | Total Number of Cases pending in District and Subordinate Courts$$   |
|----------|----------------------|-------------------|-------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1.       | A & N Island         | 1                 | 4                       | ------                                                               |
| 2.       | Andhra Pradesh       | 13                | 187                     | 564693                                                               |
| 3.       | Telangana            | 10                | 106                     | 566407                                                               |
| 4.       | Arunachal Pradesh    | -                 | -                       | -------                                                              |
| 5.       | Assam                | 27                | 66                      | 297372                                                               |
| 6.       | Bihar                | 37                | 79                      | 2875713                                                              |
| 7.       | Chandigarh           | 1                 | 1                       | 48262                                                                |
| 8.       | Chhattisgarh         | 23                | 89                      | 279410                                                               |
| 9.       | D & N Haveli         | 1                 | 2                       | 3033                                                                 |
| 10.      | Daman & Diu          | 2                 | 2                       | 2310                                                                 |
| 11.      | Delhi                | 11                | 12                      | 866265                                                               |
| 12.      | Goa                  | 2                 | 16                      | 24813                                                                |
| 13.      | Gujarat              | 32                | 328                     | 1611359                                                              |
| 14.      | Haryana              | 21                | 57                      | 869120                                                               |
| 15.      | Himachal Pradesh     | 11                | 41                      | 290465                                                               |
| 16.      | Jammu & Kashmir      | 20                | 81                      | 177254                                                               |
| 17.      | Jharkhand            | 24                | 24                      | 386064                                                               |
| 18.      | Karnataka            | 30                | 193                     | 1555617                                                              |
| 19.      | Kerala               | 15                | 131                     | 1294910                                                              |
| 20.      | Ladakh               | 2                 | 3                       | 450                                                                  |
| 21.      | Lakshadweep          | -                 | -                       | ------                                                               |
| 22.      | Madhya Pradesh       | 50                | 208                     | 1449383                                                              |
| 23.      | Maharashtra          | 40                | 467                     | 3766400                                                              |
| 24.      | Manipur              | 9                 | 18                      | 9826                                                                 |
| 25.      | Meghalaya            | 8                 | 4                       | 8847                                                                 |
| 26.      | Mizoram              | 2                 | 8                       | 2544                                                                 |
| 27.      | Nagaland             | -                 | -                       | ---------                                                            |
| 28.      | Orissa               | 30                | 119                     | 1244832                                                              |
| 29.      | Punjab               | 22                | 67                      | 639683                                                               |
| 30.      | Rajasthan            | 35                | 306                     | 1699168                                                              |
| 31.      | Sikkim               | 4                 | 5                       | 1302                                                                 |
| 32.      | Tamil Nadu           | 33                | 251                     | 1153262                                                              |
| 33.      | Puducherry           | -                 | -                       | ----------                                                           |
| 34.      | Tripura              | 8                 | 21                      | 25109                                                                |
| 35.      | Uttar Pradesh        | 74                | 169                     | 7690966                                                              |
| 36.      | Uttarakhand          | 13                | 56                      | 208011                                                               |
| 37.      | West Bengal          | 22                | 85                      | 2290464                                                              |
|          | Total                | 633               | 3206                    | 31903314                                                             |

Note: Data on District and Subordinate Courts in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland ,  and Union Territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry are not available on the web-portal of NJDG. Data in respect of Andaman & Nicobar Islands is not available on NJDG Portal