Lok Sabha Question No. 4047 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-24
Subject: National Judicial Infrastructure Fund
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Srinivas Kesineni

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW & JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4047

## TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 24 TH  MARCH, 2023

## National Judicial Infrastructure Fund

## 4047. SHRI KESINENI SRINIVAS:

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

- (a)  the  details  of  the  current  vacancy  in  the  high  courts  and  lower  judiciary  across  the country, State-wise;
- (b) the funds allocated and utilised under the National Judicial Infrastructure Fund since its inception by both the central and State Governments; and
- (c)  the  total  number  of  courts  in  India  which  currently  have  digital  computers,  centralized filing  centres,  waiting  areas  for  litigants,  rented  premises  and  separate  toilets  for  women?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

(a): The details of current vacancy in the high courts and lower judiciary across the country, State-wise is at Annexure-I and Annexure II respectively. (b):    There  is  no  National  Judicial  Infrastructure  Fund.  However,  a  Centrally  Sponsored Scheme  (CSS)  for  development  of  judicial  infrastructure  is  being  implemented  by  the Government since 1993-94. The scheme aims at improving the physical infrastructure of the District and Subordinate Courts in the country with a view to facilitate better justice delivery. Under the scheme, central share of funds are released in prescribed ratio to the States/UTs which is 60:40 (Centre : States) for all States, except 8 NER States and 2 Himalayan States (Uttrakhand and Himachal Pradesh) where the ratio is 90:10 and in case of Union Territories, no state share  is involved. Till date, Central share of Rs. 9812.82 crores has been released under the  scheme  since  its  inception,  out  of  which  Rs.  6368.51  crores  (64.90%)  has  been released since 2014-15.  Against the release of central funds of Rs. 9812.51 crore till date, as on date the states are having unspent balance of Rs. 983.51 crore which includes state share also. (c): 18,735 District & Subordinate courts have been computerized so far under the eCourts project.  The  detailed  break-up  of  courts  having  digital  computers  has  been  attached  in Annexure-III. As on date, 615 Court Halls are in rented premises . The Department does not centrally maintain data on centralized filing centres, waiting areas for litigants and separate toilets for women. However, as per data compiled by Registry of Supreme Court of India on the status of judicial infrastructure and court amenities, shared with this Department in 2021 it has been inter alia stated that 55% of the court complexes have centralized filing counters, around 33% of courtrooms have adjacent waiting lounges for lawyers and litigants and 74% court complexes have separate ladies toilets.

*******

Statement  referred  to  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Question  No.  4047  for  reply  on  24.03.2023, State/UT-wise details of Sanctioned/Working Strength and Vacancies of Judges in the High Courts (As on 20.03.2023)

|       |                  | Sanctioned strength   | Sanctioned strength   | Sanctioned strength   | Working strength   | Working strength   | Working strength   | Vacancies   | Vacancies   | Vacancies   |
|-------|------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
| B.    | High Court       | Pmt.                  | Addl                  | Total                 | Pmt.               | Addl               | Total              | Pmt.        | Addl        | Total       |
| 1     | Allahabad        | 119                   | 41                    | 160                   | 82                 | 21                 | 103                | 37          | 20          | 57          |
| 2     | Andhra Pradesh   | 28                    | 9                     | 37                    | 26                 | 5                  | 31                 | 2           | 4           | 6           |
| 3     | Bombay           | 71                    | 23                    | 94                    | 42                 | 23                 | 65                 | 29          | 0           | 29          |
| 4     | Calcutta         | 54                    | 18                    | 72                    | 34                 | 19                 | 53                 | 20          | -1          | 19          |
| 5     | Chhattisgarh     | 17                    | 5                     | 22                    | 9                  | 4                  | 13                 | 8           | 1           | 9           |
| 6     | Delhi            | 46                    | 14                    | 60                    | 45                 | 0                  | 45                 | 1           | 14          | 15          |
| 7     | Gauhati          | 22                    | 8                     | 30                    | 14                 | 9                  | 23                 | 8           | -1          | 7           |
| 8     | Gujarat          | 39                    | 13                    | 52                    | 29                 | 0                  | 29                 | 10          | 13          | 23          |
| 9     | Himachal Pradesh | 13                    | 4                     | 17                    | 9                  | 0                  | 9                  | 4           | 4           | 8           |
| 10    | J &Kand Ladakh   | 13                    | 4                     | 17                    | 11                 | 4                  | 15                 | 2           | 0           | 2           |
| 11    | Jharkhand        | 20                    | 5                     | 25                    | 20                 | 1                  | 21                 | 0           | 4           | 4           |
| 12    | Karnataka        | 47                    | 15                    | 62                    | 40                 | 13                 | 53                 | 7           | 2           | 9           |
| 13    | Kerala           | 35                    | 12                    | 47                    | 31                 | 6                  | 37                 | 4           | 6           | 10          |
| 14    | Madhya Pradesh   | 39                    | 14                    | 53                    | 31                 | 0                  | 31                 | 8           | 14          | 22          |
| 15    | Madras           | 56                    | 19                    | 75                    | 47                 | 11                 | 58                 | 9           | 8           | 17          |
| 16    | Manipur          | 4                     | 1                     | 5                     | 3                  | 0                  | 3                  | 1           | 1           | 2           |
| 17    | Meghalaya        | 3                     | 1                     | 4                     | 3                  | 0                  | 3                  | 0           | 1           | 1           |
| 18    | Orissa           | 24                    | 9                     | 33                    | 21                 | 0                  | 21                 | 3           | 9           | 12          |
| 19    | Patna            | 40                    | 13                    | 53                    | 32                 | 0                  | 32                 | 8           | 13          | 21          |
| 20    | Punjab &Haryana  | 64                    | 21                    | 85                    | 38                 | 27                 | 65                 | 26          | -6          | 20          |
| 21    | Rajasthan        | 38                    | 12                    | 50                    | 33                 | 0                  | 33                 | 5           | 12          | 17          |
| 22    | Sikkim           | 3                     | 0                     | 3                     | 3                  | 0                  | 3                  | 0           | 0           | 0           |
| 23    | Telangana        | 32                    | 10                    | 42                    | 30                 | 2                  | 32                 | 2           | 8           | 10          |
| 24    | Tripura          | 4                     | 1                     | 5                     | 2                  | 0                  | 2                  | 2           | 1           | 3           |
| 25    | Uttarakhand      | 9                     | 2                     | 11                    | 5                  | 0                  | 5                  | 4           | 2           | 6           |
| Total | Total            | 840                   | 274                   | 1114                  | 640                | 145                | 785                | 200         | 129         | 329         |

Source: Department of Justice website (Updated by Appointment Division)

Annexure-II Statement referred to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4047 for reply on 24.03.2023, State/UT-wise details of Sanctioned/Working Strength and Vacancies of Judges in the High Courts (As on 20.03.2023)

| Sl. No.   | States &UTS         |   Total Sanctioned Strength |   Total Working Strength |   Total Vacancy |
|-----------|---------------------|-----------------------------|--------------------------|-----------------|
| 1         | Andaman and Nicobar |                           0 |                       13 |             -13 |
| 2         | Andhra Pradesh      |                         618 |                      548 |              70 |
| 3         | Arunachal Pradesh   |                          41 |                       33 |               8 |
| 4         | Assam               |                         485 |                      425 |              60 |
| 5         | Bihar               |                        2016 |                     1350 |             666 |
| 6         | Chandigarh          |                          30 |                       30 |               0 |
| 7         | Chhattisgarh        |                         552 |                      436 |             116 |
| 8         | D &NHaveli          |                           3 |                        2 |               1 |
| 9         | Daman &Diu          |                           4 |                        4 |               0 |
| 10        | Delhi               |                         887 |                      709 |             178 |
| 11        | Goa                 |                          50 |                       40 |              10 |
| 12        | Gujarat             |                        1582 |                     1151 |             431 |
| 13        | Haryana             |                         772 |                      574 |             198 |
| 14        | Himachal Pradesh    |                         179 |                      163 |              16 |
| 15        | Jammu and Kashmir   |                         314 |                      222 |              92 |
| 16        | Jharkhand           |                         694 |                      505 |             189 |
| 17        | Karnataka           |                        1375 |                     1134 |             241 |
| 18        | Kerala              |                         601 |                      471 |             130 |
| 19        | Ladakh              |                          17 |                        9 |               8 |
| 20        | Lakshadweep         |                           4 |                        4 |               0 |
| 21        | Madhya Pradesh      |                        2028 |                     1642 |             386 |
| 22        | Maharashtra         |                        2190 |                     1940 |             250 |
| 23        | Manipur             |                          59 |                       42 |              17 |
| 24        | Meghalaya           |                          99 |                       57 |              42 |
| 25        | Mizoram             |                          74 |                       41 |              33 |
| 26        | Nagaland            |                          34 |                       24 |              10 |
| 27        | Odisha              |                        1001 |                      814 |             187 |
| 28        | Puducherry          |                          28 |                       11 |              17 |
| 29        | Punjab              |                         797 |                      589 |             208 |
| 30        | Rajasthan           |                        1587 |                     1249 |             338 |
| 31        | Sikkim              |                          30 |                       23 |               7 |
| 32        | Tamil Nadu          |                        1343 |                     1061 |             282 |
| 33        | Telangana           |                         560 |                      419 |             141 |
| 34        | Tripura             |                         128 |                      108 |              20 |
| 35        | Uttar Pradesh       |                        3694 |                     2494 |            1200 |
| 36        | Uttarakhand         |                         299 |                      269 |              30 |
| 37        | West Bengal         |                        1014 |                      918 |              96 |
|           | TOTAL               |                       25189 |                    19524 |            5665 |

Source: MIS Portal (Department of Justice)

Annexure-III Statement referred to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4047 for reply on 24.03.2023, High Courts and State/UT-wise details of Court Complexes and Courts.

| S.No   | High Court                 | State                                                            | Court Complexes   | Courts   |
|--------|----------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------|----------|
| 1      | Allahabad                  | Uttar Pradesh                                                    | 180               | 2222     |
| 2      | Andhra Pradesh             | Andhra Pradesh                                                   | 218               | 617      |
| 3      | Bombay                     | Dadra and Nagar Haveli                                           | 1                 | 3        |
| 3      | Bombay                     | Daman and Diu                                                    | 2                 | 2        |
| 3      | Bombay                     | Goa                                                              | 17                | 39       |
| 3      | Bombay                     | Maharashtra                                                      | 471               | 2157     |
| 4      | Calcutta                   | Andaman &Nicobar Islands                                         | 4                 | 14       |
| 4      | Calcutta                   | West Bengal                                                      | 89                | 827      |
| 5      | Chhattisgarh               | Chhattisgarh                                                     | 93                | 434      |
| 6      | Delhi                      | Delhi                                                            | 6                 | 681      |
| 7      | Gauhati                    | Arunachal Pradesh                                                | 14                | 28       |
| 7      | Gauhati                    | Assam                                                            | 74                | 408      |
| 7      | Gauhati                    | Mizoram                                                          | 8                 | 69       |
| 7      | Gauhati                    | Nagaland                                                         | 11                | 37       |
| 8      | Gujarat                    | Gujarat                                                          | 376               | 1268     |
| 9      | Himachal Pradesh           | Himachal Pradesh                                                 | 50                | 162      |
| 10     | Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh | Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh | 86                | 218      |
| 11     | Jharkhand                  | Jharkhand                                                        | 28                | 447      |
| 12     | Karnataka                  | Karnataka                                                        | 207               | 1031     |
| 13     | Kerala                     | Kerala                                                           | 158               | 484      |
| 13     | Kerala                     | Lakshadweep                                                      | 1                 | 3        |
| 14     | Madhya Pradesh             | Madhya Pradesh                                                   | 213               | 1363     |
| 15     | Madras                     | Puducherry                                                       | 4                 | 24       |
| 15     | Madras                     | Tamil Nadu                                                       | 263               | 1124     |
| 16     | Manipur                    | Manipur                                                          | 17                | 38       |
| 17     | Meghalaya                  | Meghalaya                                                        | 7                 | 42       |
| 18     | Orissa                     | Odisha                                                           | 185               | 686      |
| 19     | Patna                      | Bihar                                                            | 84                | 1142     |
| 20     | Punjab &Haryana            | Chandigarh                                                       | 1                 | 30       |
|        |                            | Haryana                                                          | 53                | 500      |
|        |                            |                                                                  | 247               | 1240     |
| 21     | Rajasthan                  | Rajasthan                                                        |                   |          |
| 22     | Sikkim                     | Sikkim                                                           | 8                 | 23       |
| 23     | Telangana                  | Telangana                                                        | 129               | 476      |
| 24     | Tripura                    | Tripura                                                          | 14                | 84       |
| 25     | Uttarakhand                | Uttarakhand                                                      | 69                | 271      |
|        | Total                      |                                                                  | 3452              | 18735    |

Source: (eCourt Division)