Lok Sabha Question No. 5633 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-04
Subject: Legal Reforms
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Shri Anup Sanjay Dhotre

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5633 TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 04 TH APRIL, 2025

## LEGAL REFORMS

## 5633. SHRI ANUP SANJAY DHOTRE:

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

(a) the measures taken by the Government to improve access to justice for citizens, including initiatives to address delays, reduce pendency and enhance the overall efficiency of the justice delivery system;

(b) the steps taken by the Government to address the challenges faced by the judiciary, as highlighted in reports by the Economic Survey and NITI Aayog, including issues related to infrastructure, manpower and technology; and

(c) whether the Government acknowledge the need for comprehensive legal reforms to keep pace with contemporary developments and emerging challenges and if so, the initiatives that have been undertaken to review and update existing laws and regulations?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS

## (SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)

(a) to (c): The Government recognises the need for comprehensive legal reforms and periodic review of existing laws and regulations to keep pace with contemporary developments and emerging challenges. The Government

has taken several initiatives to provide an ecosystem for faster disposal of cases for addressing the challenges faced by the judiciary, as under:

- i. The 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 coordinated approach for phased liquidation of arrears and pendency in judicial administration, which, inter-alia, involves better infrastructure for courts including computerization, increase in sanctioned strength of District and Subordinate Courts, policy and legislative measures in the areas prone to excessive litigation and re-engineering of court procedure for quick disposal of cases and emphasis on human resource development.
- ii. Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for development of Judicial Infrastructure, funds are being released to States/UTs for construction of court halls, residential quarters for judicial officers, lawyers' halls, toilet complexes and digital computer rooms that ease the life of various stakeholders including the litigants, thereby aiding justice delivery. As on 28.02.2025, Rs.11886.29 crores have been released since the inception of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for Development of Infrastructure Facilities for the Judiciary in 1993-94. The number of court halls has increased from 15,818 as on 30.06.2014 to 22,062 as on 28.02.2025 and the number of residential units has increased from 10,211 as on 30.06.2014 to 19,775 as on 28.02.2025, under this scheme.
- iii. Further, under Phase I & II of the e-Courts Mission Mode Project, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) had been leveraged for IT enablement of District and Subordinate Courts. 18,735 District and Subordinate Courts were computerized till 2023. WAN connectivity has been provided to 99.5% of court complexes. Video conferencing

facility has been enabled between 3,240 court complexes and 1,272 corresponding jails. As on 28.02.2025, 1572 eSewa Kendras in District Courts and 39 eSewa Kendras in High Courts have been made functional to bridge the digital divide by providing citizen centric services to lawyers and litigants. 28 virtual courts have been set up in 21 States/UTs. As on 28.02.2025, these courts have handled more than 6.95 crore cases and realized more than Rs.736.11crores in fines. The Cabinet, on 13.09.2023, has approved Phase-III of the eCourts Project at an outlay of Rs.7,210 crore. Taking the gains of Phase-I and Phase-II to the next level, the e-Courts Phase-III aims to usher in a regime of enhanced ease of justice by moving towards digital, online and paperless courts. It intends to incorporate latest technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Block Chain, etc. to make justice delivery progressively more robust, easy and accessible to all the stakeholders.

- iv. The Government has been regularly filling up vacancies of Judges in the Supreme Court of India and the High Courts. From 01.05.2014 to 31.03.2025, 67 Judges were appointed in the Supreme Court. 1034 new Judges were appointed and 794 Additional Judges were made permanent in the High Courts during the same period. The sanctioned strength of Judges of the High Courts has been increased from 906 in May, 2014 to 1122 till now. The sanctioned and working strength of judicial officers in District and Subordinate Courts has increased as under:

| As on      | Sanctioned Strength   | Working Strength   |
|------------|-----------------------|--------------------|
| 31.12.2013 | 19,518                | 15,115             |
| 31.03.2025 | 25,791                | 20,459             |

Source: MIS Portal of the Department of Justice

However, filling up of vacancies in District and Subordinate judiciary falls within the domain of the State/UT Governments and High Courts concerned.

- v. In pursuance of a Resolution passed in Chief Justices' Conference held in April, 2015, Arrears Committees have been set up in all 25 High Courts to clear cases pending for more than five years. Arrears Committees have been set up under District Courts as well.
- vi. Under the aegis of the Fourteenth Finance Commission, the Fast Track Courts have been established for dealing with cases of heinous crimes, cases involving senior citizens, women, children, etc. As on 28.02.2025, 857 Fast Track Courts are functional across the country. To fast-track criminal cases involving elected MPs / MLAs, ten (10) Special Courts are functional in nine (9) States/UTs. Further, the Central Government has approved a Scheme for setting up Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) across the country for the expeditious disposal of pending cases of Rape and POCSO Act. As on 28.02.2025, 745 FTSCs including 404 exclusive POCSO (ePOCSO) Courts are functional in 30 States/UTs across the country which have disposed of more than 3,13,000 cases.
- vii. With a view to reduce pendency and unclogging of the courts, the Government has amended various laws like The Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Act, 2018, The Commercial Courts (Amendment) Act, 2018, The Specific Relief (Amendment) Act, 2018, The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Act, 2019 and The Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2018.
- viii. Alternate Dispute Resolution methods have been promoted whole heartedly. Accordingly, The Commercial Courts Act, 2015 was amended in August, 2018 making Pre-institution Mediation and Settlement (PIMS) mandatory in case of commercial disputes. In order to further enhance the efficiency of the PIMS mechanism, the Government, through The Mediation Act, 2023, has further amended the Commercial Court Act, 2015. Amendments to The Arbitration and Conciliation Act,

1996 have been made in the years 2015, 2019 & 2021 for expediting the speedy resolution of disputes.

Under The Commercial Courts Act, 2015, there is a provision for case management hearing which provides for an efficient, effective and purposeful judicial management of a case so as to achieve a timely and qualitative resolution of a dispute. It assists in early identification of disputed issues of fact and law, establishment of procedural calendar for the life of the case and the exploration of possibilities of the resolution of the dispute.

Another novel feature introduced for the commercial courts is the system of color banding which limits the number of adjournments that can be granted in any commercial matter to three and alerts the judges about listing of the cases in accordance with their stage of pendency.

- ix. Lok Adalat is an important Alternative Disputes Resolution Mechanism available to common people. It is a forum where the disputes/ cases pending in the court of law or at pre-litigation stage are settled/ compromised amicably. Under The Legal Services Authorities (LSA) Act, 1987, an award made by a Lok Adalat is deemed to be a decree of a civil court and is final and binding on all parties and no appeal lies against thereto before any court. Lok Adalat is not a permanent establishment. National Lok Adalats are organized simultaneously in all Taluks, Districts and High Courts on a pre-fixed date.

The details of the cases disposed of in National Lok Adalats during the last four years are as under: -

| Years   | Pre-litigation Cases   | Pending Cases   | Grand Total   |
|---------|------------------------|-----------------|---------------|
| 2021    | 72,06,294              | 55,81,743       | 1,27,88,037   |
| 2022    | 3,10,15,215            | 1,09,10,795     | 4,19,26,010   |
| 2023    | 7,10,32,980            | 1,43,09,237     | 8,53,42,217   |
| 2024    | 8,70,19,059            | 1,75,07,060     | 10,45,26,119  |
| Total   | 19,62,73,548           | 4,83,08,835     | 24,45,82,383  |

- x. The Government launched the Tele-Law programme in 2017, which provides an effective and reliable e-interface platform connecting the needy and disadvantaged sections seeking legal advice and consultation with panel lawyers via video conferencing, telephone and chat facilities available at the Common Service Centres (CSCs) situated in Gram Panchayats and through Tele-Law mobile App.
- xi. Efforts have been made to institutionalize pro bono culture and pro bono lawyering in the country. A technological framework has been put in place where advocates volunteering to give their time and services for pro bono work can register as Pro Bono Advocates on Nyaya Bandhu (Android & iOS and Apps). Nyaya Bandhu Services are also available on UMANG Platform. Pro Bono Panel of advocates has been initiated in 23 High Courts at the State/UT level. Pro Bono Clubs have been started in 109 Law Schools to instill Pro Bono culture in budding lawyers.

*Percentage-wise break-up of Tele - Law Data

| Category            | Cases Registered    | % Wise Break Up     | Advice Enabled      | % Wise Break Up     |
|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
| Gender Wise         | Gender Wise         | Gender Wise         | Gender Wise         | Gender Wise         |
| Female              | 43,50,146           | 39.53%              | 42,92,045           | 39.49%              |
| Male                | 66,55,274           | 60.47%              | 65,77,616           | 60.51%              |
| Caste Category Wise | Caste Category Wise | Caste Category Wise | Caste Category Wise | Caste Category Wise |
| General             | 25,94,779           | 23.58%              | 25,54,696           | 23.50%              |
| OBC                 | 34,67,629           | 31.51%              | 34,21,343           | 31.48%              |
| SC                  | 34,55,009           | 31.39%              | 34,19,433           | 31.46%              |
| ST                  | 14,88,003           | 13.52%              | 14,74,189           | 13.56%              |
| Total               | 1,10,05,420         |                     | 1,08,69,661         |                     |

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