Lok Sabha Question No. 1257 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-09
Subject: Infrastructure in District Courts
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Manne Srinivas Reddy, Raghu Ramakrishna Raju Kanumuru

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1257

## TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 9 th  FEBRUARY, 2024

## Infrastructure in District Courts

## 1257. SHRI MANNE SRINIVAS REDDY:

## SHRI KANUMURU RAGHU RAMAKRISHNA RAJU:

Will the MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that legal proceedings in the city's district courts are being  hampered  by  a  scarcity  of  equipment  for  hybrid  hearing  and infrastructure, if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor,
- State/court-wise;
- (b) whether several Advocates/Judges are seeking appropriate infrastructure for smooth functioning of hybrid hearings particularly after the COVID19 pandemic, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the details of the courts which allowed parties in a litigation to argue via video conferencing, court/State-wise; and
- (d) the corrective steps being taken in this regard till now along with funds sanctioned/spent therefor, court/State-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE; MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE (SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)

(a)  to  (d):  As  part  of  the  National  eGovernance  Plan,  the  eCourts  Mission Mode  Project  is  under  implementation  for  Information  and  Communication Technology (ICT) development of the Indian Judiciary based on the 'National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology in the Indian Judiciary'. eCourts project is being implemented  by  Department  of  Justice  in  association  with  eCommittee

Supreme  Court  of  India.  Phase  I  of  the  eCourts  project  was  implemented between 2011-2015. Phase II of the project extended from 2015-2023.

Under eCourts Mission Mode Project, provision of video conferencing facility is  one  of  the  major  component.  During  Phase  I  of  the  project,  video conferencing facility was operationalised between 488 court complexes & 342 corresponding  jails  while  in  Phase  II  of  the  project,  VC  facility  have  been enabled  between  3240  court  complexes  and  corresponding  1272  jails.  In eCourts Phase II of the project, one video conference equipment each has been provided to all Court Complexes including taluk level courts and funds  have been sanctioned for additional VC equipment for 14,443 court rooms (StateWise details  attached  at  Annexure  I).  Funds  for  setting  up  2506  VC  Cabins have  been  made  available  (State-Wise  details  attached  at  Annexure  II). Additional 1500 VC Licenses have been acquired to facilitate e-hearing.

In  Phase  II  of  the  project,  eSewa  Kendras  have  been  established  in  High Courts and District Courts across the country. These centers are located in the court  complexes  and  have  been  established  to  bridge  the  digital  divide  and extend  assistance  to  lawyers  and  litigants.  These  Kendras  aim  to  serve  as  a one-stop centre offering free of cost information on court cases/orders/judgments, facilitation of court related matters, video conferencing  facility  and  e-filing  services,  particularly  benefiting  those  who may lack access to technology or reside in remote areas.As on 31.12.2023, a total of 880 e-Sewa Kendras has been established nationwide, underscoring the positive  impact  of  this  initiative  in  providing  valuable  services  to  legal practitioners  and  litigants. Under  Phase  III  of  the  Project,  for  bridging  the digital divide, provision of saturation of all court complexes comprising 4400 e-Sewa Kendras has been made with a budgetary outlay of Rs. 394.48 crore.

Video conferencing emerged as the mainstay of the Courts during the Covid lockdown  period  as  physical  hearings  and  normal  court  proceedings  in  the

congregational mode were not possible. To bring uniformity and standardization in the conduct of VC, an overarching order was passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India on 6 th  April 2020 which gave legal sanctity and validity to the  court hearings  done through VC. Further,  VC rules were framed by a 5-Judge Committee which wascirculated to all the High Courts for adoption  after  local  contextualization  and  are  available  on  the  website  of eCommittee, Supreme Court of India. All the High Courts have implemented Video  Conferencing  rules.  Since  Covid  lockdown  started,  the  District  & Subordinate  courts  heard  2,17,99,976  cases  while  the  High  Courts  heard 82,76,595  cases  (totalling  3  crore)  till  31.12.2023  using  video  conferencing (High Courts and district courts wise details on number of cases dealt using video  conferencing  attached  at  Annexure  III).  The  Supreme  Court  held 6,24,427  hearings  till  04.01.2024  since  the  beginning  of  lockdown  period, making it a world leader. In Phase-III of the Project, Rs. 228.48 crore has been allocated towards further enhancing and upgrading the available infrastructure of video conferencing in various courts.

Further, in the case of Sarvesh Mathur vs The Registrar General, High Court of Punjab & Haryana (WP (Crl.) No. 351/2023), Hon'ble Supreme Court has passed  an  order  (dated  06.10.2023)  that  no  High  Court  shall  deny  access  to video  conferencing  facilities  or  hearing  through  the  hybrid  mode  to  any member of the Bar or litigant desirous of availing of such a facility. Moreover, all  State  Governments  have  been  directed  to  provide  necessary  funds  to  the High Courts to put into place the requisite VC facilities.

*****

## Annexure-I

Statement referred to in reply of  Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1257 for 09/02/2024 regardinginfrastructure in district courts.High Court wise details of VC equipment for Court Rooms* across the country is as under:

| S.No   | High Court       | Number of Functioning Court Rooms   | Number of VC equipment were already provided   | Number of additional equipment to be provided   |
|--------|------------------|-------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| A      | B                | C                                   | D                                              | E                                               |
| 1      | Allahabad        | 2438                                | 150                                            | 2288                                            |
| 2      | Andhra Pradesh   | 550                                 | 212                                            | 338                                             |
| 3      | Bombay           | 2178                                | 486                                            | 1692                                            |
| 4      | Calcutta         | 840                                 | 88                                             | 752                                             |
| 5      | Chhattisgarh     | 395                                 | 90                                             | 305                                             |
| 6      | Delhi            | 479                                 | 6                                              | 473                                             |
| 7      | Gauhati          | 442                                 | 194                                            | 248                                             |
| 8      | Gujarat          | 1078                                | 327                                            | 751                                             |
| 9      | Himachal Pradesh | 135                                 | 43                                             | 92                                              |
| 10     | Jammu &Kashmir   | 218                                 | 86                                             | 132                                             |
| 11     | Jharkhand        | 417                                 | 28                                             | 389                                             |
| 12     | Karnataka        | 1029                                | 200                                            | 829                                             |
| 13     | Kerala           | 508                                 | 159                                            | 349                                             |
| 14     | Madhya Pradesh   | 1274                                | 203                                            | 1071                                            |
| 15     | Madras           | 1169                                | 267                                            | 902                                             |
| 16     | Manipur          | 38                                  | 37                                             | 1                                               |
| 17     | Meghalaya        | 36                                  | 64                                             | 0                                               |
| 18     | Orissa           | 688                                 | 141                                            | 547                                             |
| 19     | Patna            | 1046                                | 76                                             | 970                                             |
| 20     | Punjab &Haryana  | 972                                 | 118                                            | 854                                             |
| 21     | Rajasthan        | 1239                                | 238                                            | 1001                                            |
| 22     | Sikkim           | 21                                  | 17                                             | 4                                               |
| 23     | Telangana        | 440                                 | 129                                            | 311                                             |
| 24     | Tripura          | 78                                  | 66                                             | 12                                              |
| 25     | Uttarakhand      | 184                                 | 52                                             | 132                                             |
|        | Total            | 17892                               | 3477                                           | 14443                                           |

## Annexure-II

Statement referred to in reply of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1257 for 09/02/2024  regardinginfrastructure  in  district  courts.High  Courts  wise  details for VC Cabins and Connectivity in Court Complexes* across the country is as under:

| S.No.   | High Court       | Number of VC Cabins   |
|---------|------------------|-----------------------|
| A       | B                | C                     |
| 1       | Allahabad        | 438                   |
| 2       | Andhra Pradesh   | 57                    |
| 3       | Bombay           | 271                   |
| 4       | Calcutta         | 128                   |
| 5       | Chhattisgarh     | 58                    |
| 6       | Delhi            | 103                   |
| 7       | Gauhati          | 77                    |
| 8       | Gujarat          | 94                    |
| 9       | Himachal Pradesh | 18                    |
| 10      | Jammu &Kashmir   | 34                    |
| 11      | Jharkhand        | 78                    |
| 12      | Karnataka        | 128                   |
| 13      | Kerala           | 52                    |
| 14      | Madhya Pradesh   | 169                   |
| 15      | Madras           | 140                   |
| 16      | Manipur          | 12                    |
| 17      | Meghalaya        | 11                    |
| 18      | Orissa           | 84                    |
| 19      | Patna            | 171                   |
| 20      | Punjab &Haryana  | 135                   |
| 21      | Rajasthan        | 143                   |
| 22      | Sikkim           | 11                    |
| 23      | Telangana        | 52                    |
| 24      | Tripura          | 17                    |
| 25      | Uttarakhand      | 25                    |
| Total   | Total            | 2506                  |

## Annexure-III

Statement referred to in reply of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1257 for 09/02/2024  regarding  infrastructure  in  district  courts.High  Courts  and  district courts wise details on number of cases dealt using video conferencing across the country as on 31.12.2023 is as under:

| Number of cases dealt with (virtual hearings) on video conferencing in High Courts and District Courts as on 31st December 2023   | Number of cases dealt with (virtual hearings) on video conferencing in High Courts and District Courts as on 31st December 2023   | Number of cases dealt with (virtual hearings) on video conferencing in High Courts and District Courts as on 31st December 2023   | Number of cases dealt with (virtual hearings) on video conferencing in High Courts and District Courts as on 31st December 2023   | Number of cases dealt with (virtual hearings) on video conferencing in High Courts and District Courts as on 31st December 2023   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S. No.                                                                                                                            | High Court                                                                                                                        | High Courts                                                                                                                       | District Courts                                                                                                                   | Grand Total                                                                                                                       |
| 1                                                                                                                                 | Allahabad                                                                                                                         | 243581                                                                                                                            | 5381161                                                                                                                           | 5624742                                                                                                                           |
| 2                                                                                                                                 | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                                    | 390472                                                                                                                            | 1423856                                                                                                                           | 1814328                                                                                                                           |
| 3                                                                                                                                 | Bombay                                                                                                                            | 48660                                                                                                                             | 134931                                                                                                                            | 183591                                                                                                                            |
| 4 Calcutta                                                                                                                        |                                                                                                                                   | 146925                                                                                                                            | 87131                                                                                                                             | 234056                                                                                                                            |
| 5 Chhattisgarh                                                                                                                    |                                                                                                                                   | 103554                                                                                                                            | 158365                                                                                                                            | 261919                                                                                                                            |
| 6 Delhi                                                                                                                           | 319540                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                   | 5072149                                                                                                                           | 5391689                                                                                                                           |
| 7 Gauhati - Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                                     | 2327                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                   | 8146                                                                                                                              | 10473                                                                                                                             |
| 8 Gauhati - Assam                                                                                                                 | 266358                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                   | 406866                                                                                                                            | 673224                                                                                                                            |
| 9 Gauhati - Mizoram                                                                                                               | 3965                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                   | 13268                                                                                                                             | 17233                                                                                                                             |
| 10 Gauhati - Nagaland                                                                                                             | 976                                                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                   | 737                                                                                                                               | 1713                                                                                                                              |
| 11 Gujarat                                                                                                                        |                                                                                                                                   | 395254                                                                                                                            | 200449                                                                                                                            | 595703                                                                                                                            |
| 12 Himachal Pradesh                                                                                                               | 183975                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                   | 181463                                                                                                                            | 365438                                                                                                                            |
| Jammu & Kashmir                                                                                                                   | 259521                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                   | 502761                                                                                                                            | 13 762282                                                                                                                         |
| 14 Jharkhand                                                                                                                      | 220725                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                   | 665438                                                                                                                            | 886163                                                                                                                            |
| Karnataka                                                                                                                         | 1239626                                                                                                                           |                                                                                                                                   | 140745                                                                                                                            | 15 1380371                                                                                                                        |
| 16 Kerala                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                   | 163639                                                                                                                            | 583517                                                                                                                            | 747156                                                                                                                            |
| 17 Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                                 | 671777                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                   | 898771                                                                                                                            | 1570548                                                                                                                           |
| 18 Madras                                                                                                                         | 1450678                                                                                                                           |                                                                                                                                   | 387133                                                                                                                            | 1837811                                                                                                                           |
| 19 Manipur                                                                                                                        | 47972                                                                                                                             |                                                                                                                                   | 15399                                                                                                                             | 63371                                                                                                                             |
| 20 Meghalaya                                                                                                                      | 4552                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                   | 41936                                                                                                                             | 46488                                                                                                                             |
| 21 Orissa                                                                                                                         | 316542                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                   | 277801                                                                                                                            | 594343                                                                                                                            |
| 22 Patna                                                                                                                          |                                                                                                                                   | 277203                                                                                                                            | 2423727                                                                                                                           | 2700930                                                                                                                           |
| 23 Punjab & Haryana                                                                                                               | 586805                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                   | 2320628                                                                                                                           | 2907433                                                                                                                           |
| 24 Rajasthan                                                                                                                      | 234464                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                   | 191314                                                                                                                            | 425778                                                                                                                            |
| 25 Sikkim                                                                                                                         | 529                                                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                   | 14371                                                                                                                             | 14900                                                                                                                             |
| 26 Telangana                                                                                                                      | 588797                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                   | 191104                                                                                                                            | 779901                                                                                                                            |
| 27                                                                                                                                | Tripura                                                                                                                           | 21761                                                                                                                             | 31947                                                                                                                             | 53708                                                                                                                             |
| 28 Uttarakhand                                                                                                                    | 86417                                                                                                                             |                                                                                                                                   | 44862                                                                                                                             | 131279                                                                                                                            |
| TOTAL                                                                                                                             |                                                                                                                                   | 8276595                                                                                                                           | 21799976                                                                                                                          | 30076571                                                                                                                          |