Lok Sabha Question No. 5042 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-04-01
Subject: Disposal of Cases
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: T.R.V.S. Ramesh, Rajendra Agrawal, Jagdambika Pal, P.P. Chaudhary

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5042. TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 1 st  APRIL, 2022

## DISPOSAL OF CASES

5042. SHRI T.R.V.S. RAMESH:

SHRI RAJENDRA AGRAWAL:

SHRI JAGDAMBIKA PAL:

SHRI P.P. CHAUDHARY:

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

- (a) whether the number of cases pending in various courts is increasing and if so, the reasons therefor indicating the number of pending cases during the last three years in Supreme Court, High Courts and subordinate courts;
- (b) the average time taken by High Courts for the disposal of various civil cases, State/UT-wise particularly in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan;
- (c) whether the Government has proposed or conducting any study to introduce the use of Artificial Intelligence in judiciary; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof along with its use in Fast Track Courts for quick justice delivery?

## ANSWER

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

- (a): The number of  pending cases during the last three years in Supreme Court of India, High Courts and District & Subordinate Courts is as under:-

|   Sl. No. | Name of Court          | Pendency in the Year 2019   | Pendency in the Year 2020   | Pendency in Year 2021     | the Pendency in the Year 2022   |
|-----------|------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------------|
|         1 | Supreme Court of India | 59,535 (as on 02.12.2019)   | 64,426 (as on 04.12.2020)   | 69,855 (as on 06.12.2021) | 70,154 (as on 02.03.2022)       |

|   2 | High Courts                   | 46,84,354 (as on 31.12.2019)   | 56,42,567 (as on 31.12.2020)   | 56,49,068 (as on 31.12.2021)   | 58,90,726 (as on 28.03.2022)   |
|-----|-------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|   3 | District & Subordinate Courts | 3,22,96,224 (as on 31.12.2019) | 3,66,39,436 (as on 31.12.2020) | 4,05,79,062 (as on 31.12.2021) | 4,09,85,490 (as on 28.03.2022) |

Disposal of pending cases in courts is within the domain of the judiciary.  No time frame has been prescribed for disposal of various kinds of cases by the respective courts. Government has no role in disposal of cases in courts.  Timely disposal of cases in courts depends  on  several  factors  which,  inter-alia,  include  availability  of  adequate  number  of judges and judicial officers, supporting court staff and physical infrastructure, complexity of facts  involved,  nature  of  evidence,  co-operation  of  stake  holders  viz.  bar,  investigation agencies, witnesses and litigants and proper application of rules and procedures. There are several  factors  which  may  lead  to  delay  in  disposal  of  cases.    These,  inter-alia,  include vacancies of judges, frequent adjournments and lack of adequate arrangement to monitor, track  and bunch cases for hearing. The Central Government is fully committed to speedy disposal of cases in accordance with Article 21 of the Constitution and reducing pendency. The Government has taken several initiatives to provide an ecosystem for faster disposal of cases by the judiciary.

National  Mission  for  Justice  Delivery  and  Legal  Reforms  was  set  up  in  August, 2011 with the twin objectives of increasing access by reducing delays and arrears in the system and enhancing accountability through structural changes and by setting performance standards  and  capacities.    The  Mission  has  been  pursuing  a  co-ordinated  approach  for phased  liquidation  of  arrears  and  pendency  in  judicial  administration,  which, inter-alia, involves better infrastructure for courts including computerization, increase in strength of subordinate  judiciary,  policy  and  legislative  measures  in  the  areas  prone  to  excessive litigation,  re-engineering of  court procedure for quick disposal of cases and emphasis on human resource development.

- (b):  The National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) maintain data relating to pendency, disposal of cases in High Courts and District and Taluka Courts. NJDG does not maintain data on average time taken for disposal of cases in courts.  However, data available on the NJDG, on the time taken to disposition of cases in respect of High Courts including Allahabad High Court, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan High Court, as on 28.03.2022 is at Annexure.

(c): & (d): At present, a Committee on Artificial Intelligence has been constituted by the Supreme Court of India which is presently chaired by Hon'ble Mr. Justice L. Nageswara Rao,  Judge,  Supreme  Court  of  India  to  look  into  all  matters  related  to  use  of  Artificial Technology in the entire Court eco-system.

******

## Annexure

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (B) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5042 FOR ANSWER ON 01.04.2022 REGARDING DISPOSAL OF CASES.

| Name of High Courts                     | With in a 1 year   | 1-2 Year        | 2-3Year         | 3-4 Year        | 4-5 Year     | 5-6 Year     | 6-7 Year     | 7-8 Year      | 8-9 Year      | 9-10 Year    |
|-----------------------------------------|--------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|---------------|---------------|--------------|
| (1)                                     | (2)                | (3)             | (4)             | (5)             | (6)          | (7)          | (8)          | (9)           | (10)          | (11)         |
| Allahabad High Court                    | 7597 (39.50 %)     | 4,858 (25.26 %) | 403 (2.10 %)    | 470 (2.44 %)    | 329 (1.71 %) | 220 (1.14 %) | 345 (1.79 %) | 540 (2.81 %)  | 1175 (6.11 %) | 716 (3.72 %) |
| Calcutta High Court                     | 3739 (32.68 %)     | 3,824 (33.42 %) | 405 (3.54 %)    | 536 (4.68 %)    | 240 (2.10 %) | 272 (2.38 %) | 176 (1.54 %) | 143 (1.25%    | 850 (7.43 %)  | 300 (2.62 %) |
| Gauhati High Court                      | 1,161 (35.57 %)    | 823 (25.21 %)   | 328 (10.05 %)   | 357 (10.94 %)   | 192 (5.88 %) | 145 (4.44 %) | 99 (3.03 %)  | 65 (1.99 %)   | 45 (1.38 %)   | 22 (0.67 %)  |
| High Court for the State of Telangana   | 7965 (47.00 %)     | 5,331 (31.46 %) | 325 (1.92 %)    | 330 (1.95 %)    | 393 (2.32 %) | 480 (2.83 %) | 321 (1.89 %) | 198 (1.17 %)  | 170 (1.00 %)  | 134 (0.79 %) |
| High Court of Andhra Pradesh            | 3,075 (49.97 %)    | 1,246 (20.25 %) | 280 (4.55 %)    | 205 (3.33 %)    | 178 (2.89 %) | 192 (3.12 %) | 207 (3.36 %) | 193 (3.14 %)  | 155 (2.52 %)  | 92 (1.49 %)  |
| High Court of Bombay                    | 4,994 (34.04 %)    | 4,302 (29.33 %) | 963 (6.56 %)    | 1,733 (11.81 %) | 650 (4.43 %) | 465 (3.17 %) | 251 (1.71 %) | 265 (1.81 %)  | 223 (1.52 %)  | 160 (1.09 %) |
| High Court of Chhattisgarh              | 1,953 (55.56 %)    | 653 (18.58 %)   | 161 (4.58 %)    | 221 (6.29 %)    | 76 (2.16 %)  | 81 (2.30 %)  | 116 (3.30 %) | 47 (1.34 %)   | 19 (0.54 %)   | 56 (1.59 %)  |
| High Court of Delhi                     | 3,302 (48.76 %)    | 1,608 (23.74 %) | 1,266 (18.69 %) | 340 (5.02 %)    | 77 (1.14 %)  | 38 (0.56 %)  | 33 (0.49 %)  | 17 (0.25 %)   | 19 (0.28 %)   | 20 (0.30 %)  |
| High Court of Gujarat                   | NA                 | NA              | NA              | NA              | NA           | NA           | NA           | NA            | NA            | NA           |
| High Court of Himachal Pradesh          | 2,232 (56.00 %)    | 1,038 (26.04 %) | 331 (8.30 %)    | 201 (5.04 %)    | 44 (1.10%    | 40 (1.00 %)  | 24 (0.60 %)  | 16 (0.40 %)   | 18 (0.45 %)   | 12 (0.30 %)  |
| High Court of Jammu &Kashmir and Ladakh | 365 (14.82 %)      | 201 (8.16 %)    | 98 (3.98 %)     | 140 (5.68 %)    | 206 (8.36 %) | 196 (7.96 %) | 224 (9.09 %) | 264 (10.72 %) | 233 (9.46 %)  | 148 (6.01 %) |
| High Court of Jharkhand                 | 79 (3.29 %)        | 562 (23.42 %)   | 215 (8.96 %)    | 468 (19.50 %)   | 170 (7.08 %) | 163 (6.79 %) | 159 (6.63 %) | 72 (3.00 %)   | 49 (2.04 %)   | 68 (2.83 %)  |
| High Court of Karnataka                 | 2,382 (18.19 %)    | 3,318 (25.33 %) | 970 (7.41 %)    | 1,424 (10.87 %) | 937 (7.15 %) | 933 (7.12 %) | 668 (5.10 %) | 534 4.08 %)   | 501 (3.83 %)  | 478 (3.65 %) |

| High Court of Kerala          | 1,823 (25.88 %)   | 1,932 (27.43 %)   | 555 (7.88 %)   | 401 (5.69 %)    | 276 (3.92 %)   | 277 (3.93 %)   | 340 (4.83 %)   | 206 (2.92 %)   | 169 (2.40%     | 151 (2.14 %)   |
|-------------------------------|-------------------|-------------------|----------------|-----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
| High Court of Madhya Pradesh  | NA                | NA                | NA             | NA              | NA             | NA             | NA             | NA             | NA             | NA             |
| High Court of Manipur         | 249 (39.15 %)     | 186 (29.25 %)     | 60 (9.43 %)    | 67 (10.53 %)    | 40 (6.29 %)    | 18 (2.83 %)    | 3 (0.47 %)     | 3 (0.47 %)     | 8 (1.26 %)     | 0 (0.00 %)     |
| High Court of Meghalaya       | 87 (27.02 %)      | 88 (27.33 %)      | 46 (14.29 %)   | 32 (9.94 %)     | 10 (3.11 %)    | 1 (0.31 %)     | 39 (12.11 %)   | 9 (2.80 %)     | 9 (2.80 %)     | 1 (0.31 %)     |
| High Court of Punjab &Haryana | 2,242 (31.26 %)   | 2,161 (30.13 %)   | 484 (6.75 %)   | 540 (7.53 %)    | 342 (4.77 %)   | 466 (6.50 %)   | 323 (4.50 %)   | 262 (3.65 %)   | 93 (1.30 %)    | 82 (1.14 %)    |
| High Court of Rajasthan       | 3,911 (32.88 %)   | 2,912 (24.48 %)   | 1,068 (8.98 %) | 1,414 (11.89 %) | 898 (7.55 %)   | 475 (3.99 %)   | 268 (2.25 %)   | 267 (2.24 %)   | 125 (1.05 %)   | 68 (0.57 %)    |
| High Court of Sikkim          | 5 (22.73 %)       | 7 (31.82 %)       | 3 (13.64 %)    | 3 3.64 %)       | 4 (18.18 %)    | 0 .00 %)       | 0 (0.00 %)     | 0 (0.00 %)     | 0 (0.00 %)     | 0 (0.00 %)     |
| High Court of Tripura         | 119 (20.07 %)     | 289 (48.74 %)     | 29 (4.89 %)    | 91 (15.35 %)    | 48 (8.09 %)    | 8 (1.35 %)     | 6 (1.01 %)     | 2 (0.34 %)     | 0 (0.00 %)     | 0 (0.00 %)     |
| High Court of Uttarakhand     | 551 (40.51 %)     | 288 (21.18 %)     | 93 (6.84 %)    | 148 (10.88 %)   | 189 (13.90 %)  | 22 (1.62 %)    | 7 (0.51 %)     | 7 (0.51 %)     | 24 (1.76 %)    | 4 (0.29 %)     |
| Madras High Court             | 17,125 (33.43 %)  | 13,777 (26.89 %)  | 4,056 (7.92 %) | 4,326 (8.44 %)  | 2,465 (4.81 %) | 2,522 (4.92 %) | 1,582 (3.09 %) | 855 (1.67 %)   | 1,007 (1.97 %) | 594 (1.16 %)   |
| Orissa High Court             | 6,574 (28.67 %)   | 12,033 (52.47 %)  | 555 (2.42 %)   | 200 (0.87 %)    | 145 (0.63 %)   | 193 (0.84 %)   | 224 (0.98 %)   | 236 (1.03 %)   | 297 (1.30 %)   | 418 (1.82 %)   |
| Patna High Court              | 979 (18.63 %)     | 3,236 (61.57 %)   | 621 (11.82 %)  | 158 (3.01 %)    | 138 (2.63 %)   | 53 (1.01 %)    | 31 (0.59 %)    | 21 (0.40 %)    | 7 (0.13 %)     | 5 (0.10 %)     |

| Name of High Courts                     | 10-11 Year   | 11-12 Year   | 12-13 Year   | 13-14 Year   | 14-15 Year   | 15-16 Year   | 16-17 Year   | 17-18 Year   | 18-19 Year   | 19-20 Year   | 20-21 Year   | More Than 21 Years   |
|-----------------------------------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|----------------------|
|                                         | (12)         | (13)         | (14)         | (15)         | (16)         | (17)         | (18)         | (19)         | (20)         | (21)         | (22)         | (23)                 |
| Allahabad High Court                    | 302 (1.57 %) | 231 (1.20 %) | 270 (1.40 %) | 267 (1.39 %) | 197 (1.02 %) | 204 (1.06 %) | 152 (0.79 %) | 194 (1.01 %) | 139 (0.72 %) | 94 (0.49 %)  | 80 (0.42 %)  | 452 (2.35 %)         |
| Calcutta High Court                     | 64 (0.56 %)  | 95 (0.83 %)  | 62 (0.54 %)  | 301 (2.63 %) | 21 (0.18 %)  | 149 (1.30 %) | 14 (0.12%    | 8 (0.07 %)   | 17 (0.15 %)  | 123 (1.07 %) | 29 (0.25 %)  | 74 (0.65 %)          |
| Gauhati High Court                      | 8 (0.25 %)   | 9 (0.28 %)   | 8 (0.25 %)   | 1 (0.03 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)   | 1 (0.03 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)           |
| High Court for the State of Telangana   | 140 (0.83 %) | 120 (0.71 %) | 218 (1.29 %) | 230 (1.36 %) | 169 (1.00 %) | 128 (0.76 %) | 70 (0.41 %)  | 67 (0.40 %)  | 61 (0.36 %)  | 48 (0.28 %)  | 30 (0.18 %)  | 18 (0.11 %)          |
| High Court of Andhra Pradesh            | 45 (0.73 %)  | 40 (0.65 %)  | 31 (0.50 %)  | 89 (1.45 %)  | 20 0.32 %)   | 24 (0.39 %)  | 11 (0.18 %)  | 12 (0.19 %)  | 12 (0.19 %)  | 14 (0.23 %)  | 18 (0.29 %)  | 15 (0.24 %)          |
| High Court of Bombay                    | 77 (0.52 %)  | 82 (0.56 %)  | 60 (0.41 %)  | 56 (0.38 %)  | 77 (0.52 %)  | 71 (0.48 %)  | 29 (0.20 %)  | 39 (0.27 %)  | 36 (0.25 %)  | 24 (0.16 %)  | 43 (0.29 %)  | 70 (0.48 %)          |
| High Court of Chhattisgarh              | 72 (2.05 %)  | 17 (0.48 %)  | 8 (0.23 %)   | 7 (0.20 %)   | 5 (0.14 %)   | 7 (0.20 %)   | 5 (0.14 %)   | 3 (0.09 %)   | 1 (0.03 %)   | 2 (0.06 %)   | 1 (0.03 %)   | 4 (0.11 %)           |
| High Court of Delhi                     | 5 (0.07 %)   | 5 (0.07 %)   | 7 (0.10 %)   | 6 (0.09 %)   | 7 (0.10 %)   | 6 (0.09 %)   | 3 (0.04 %)   | 4 (0.06 %)   | 7 (0.10 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)   | 2 (0.03 %)           |
| High Court of Gujarat                   | NA           | NA           | NA           | NA           | NA           | NA           | NA           | NA           | NA           | NA           | NA           | NA                   |
| High Court of Himachal Pradesh          | 11 (0.28 %)  | 6 (0.15 %)   | 1 (0.03 %)   | 3 (0.08 %)   | 5 (0.13 %)   | 1 (0.03 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)   | 1 (0.03 %)   | 2 0.05 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)           |
| High Court of Jammu& Kashmir and Ladakh | 88 (3.57 %)  | 89 (3.61 %)  | 61 (2.48 %)  | 44 (1.79 %)  | 23 (0.93 %)  | 19 (0.77 %)  | 19 (0.77 %)  | 12 (0.49 %)  | 12 (0.49 %)  | 9 (0.37 %)   | 10 (0.41 %)  | 2 (0.08%             |

| High Court of Jharkhand       | 70 (2.92 %)   | 109 (4.54 %)   | 66 (2.75 %)   | 44 (1.83 %)   | 21 (0.88 %)   | 24 (1.00 %)   | 20 (0.83 %)   | 7 (0.29 %)   | 17 (0.71 %)   | 12 (0.50 %)   | 2 (0.08 %)   | 3 (0.13 %)   |
|-------------------------------|---------------|----------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|--------------|---------------|---------------|--------------|--------------|
| High Court of Karnataka       | 287 (2.19 %)  | 221 (1.69 %)   | 199 (1.52 %)  | 49 (0.37 %)   | 49 (0.37 %)   | 59 (0.45 %)   | 64 (0.49 %)   | 17 (0.13 %)  | 0 (0.00 %)    | 4 (0.03 %)    | 1 (0.01 %)   | 2 (0.02 %)   |
| High Court of Kerala          | 463 (6.57 %)  | 112 (1.59 %)   | 74 (1.05 %)   | 137 (1.94 %)  | 38 (0.54 %)   | 25 (0.35 %)   | 20 (0.28 %)   | 15 (0.21 %)  | 9 (0.13 %)    | 6 (0.09 %)    | 9 (0.13 %)   | 6 (0.09 %)   |
| High Court of Madhya Pradesh  | NA            | NA             | NA            | NA            | NA            | NA            | NA            | NA           | NA            | NA            | NA           | NA           |
| High Court of Manipur         | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)     | 0 (0.00 %)    | 1 (0.16 %)    | 1 (0.16 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)   |
| High Court of Meghalaya       | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.0 0 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)   |
| High Court of Punjab& Haryana | 35 (0.49 %)   | 30 (0.42 %)    | 24 (0.33 %)   | 13 (0.18 %)   | 16 (0.22 %)   | 17 (0.24 %)   | 11 (0.15%     | 8 (0.11 %)   | 8 (0.11 %)    | 4 (0.06 %)    | 4 (0.06 %)   | 8 (0.11 %)   |
| High Court of Rajasthan       | 90 (0.76 %)   | 92 (0.77 %)    | 43 (0.36 %)   | 55 (0.46 %)   | 41 (0.34 %)   | 40 (0.34 %)   | 21 (0.18 %)   | 24 (0.20 %)  | 16 (0.13 %)   | 10 (0.08 %)   | 11 (0.09 %)  | 45 (0.38 %)  |
| High Court of Sikkim          | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)     | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 0.00 %)     | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)   |
| High Court of Tripura         | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)     | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)    | 1 (0.17 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)   |
| High Court of Uttarakhand     | 8 (0.59 %)    | 8 (0.59 %)     | 1 (0.07 %)    | 1 (0.07 %)    | 2 (0.15 %)    | 2 (0.15 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)    | 5 (0.37 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)    | 0 (0.00 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)   |
| Madras High Court             | 634 (1.24 %)  | 458 (0.89 %)   | 614 (1.20 %)  | 206 (0.40 %)  | 113 (0.22 %)  | 90 (0.18 %)   | 65 (0.13 %)   | 108 (0.21 %) | 94 (0.18 %)   | 109 (0.21 %)  | 87 (0.17 %)  | 340 (0.66 %) |
| Orissa High Court             | 247 (1.08 %)  | 244 (1.06 %)   | 308 (1.34 %)  | 242 (1.06 %)  | 169 (0.74 %)  | 172 (0.75 %)  | 115 (0.50 %)  | 104 (0.45 %) | 119 (0.52 %)  | 83 (0.36 %)   | 43 (0.19 %)  | 212 (0.92 %) |

| Patna High Court   | 1 (0.02 %)   | 3 (0.06 %   | 0 (0.00 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)   | 2 (0.04 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)   | 1 (0.02 %)   | 0 (0.00 %)   |
|--------------------|--------------|-------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|

Source:-  National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG)

NA - Not Available