Nearly 5 crore cases pending: Centre reveals plan to speed up justice

Representation pic/istock

Even as India's courts continue to grapple with more than 4.98 crore pending civil and criminal cases, the Centre has formally acknowledged the scale of the problem and outlined a roadmap to improve the justice delivery system through technology, legal reforms and institutional measures.

The government's response, tabled in the Rajya Sabha on July 23, comes days after mid-day's July 28 report, ‘When justice takes 42 years', highlighted extraordinary judicial delays. Senior Advocate Majeed Memon had then warned that prolonged litigation erodes public faith in the justice system.

Replying to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal said data from the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) shows that courts across the country continue to handle cases pending for one, five, 10, 20, and even 30 years. State-wise details, based on NJDG data as of July 16, 2026, have been placed on record.

The Centre said judicial delays arise from multiple factors, including the complexity of cases, the volume of evidence, delays in investigations, availability of witnesses and coordination among litigants, lawyers and other stakeholders. While reiterating that disposal of cases falls exclusively within the judiciary's domain, the government said it will continue supporting courts by strengthening infrastructure, expanding digital systems and introducing legal reforms.

India's court pendency

More than 4.98 crore civil and criminal cases pending
Cases pending for:
More than 30 years
More than 20 years
More than 10 years
More than five years
More than a year
Source: State-wise and court-wise data maintained on the National Judicial Data Grid

What is the Centre doing?

Digital courts
Phase III of the eCourts Project (2023-2027) approved
Allocation: Rs 7210 crore

Aim:
>> Digitise court processes
>> Improve efficiency
>> Make courts more accessible
>> Integrate judicial services through technology

Fast-track courts

Under the Centrally Sponsored Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC) Scheme:
>> 775 Fast Track Special Courts operational
>> Across 29 states and Union Territories
>> Includes 398 exclusive POCSO courts
>> 3,87,481 cases disposed of

Legal reforms

The Centre said several amendments are aimed at reducing procedural delays:
>> New Criminal Laws, 2023
>> Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Act, 2018
>> Commercial Courts (Amendment) Act, 2018
>> Specific Relief (Amendment) Act, 2018

Alternative dispute resolution

To reduce pressure on courts, the government continues to promote:
>> Lok Adalats
>> Pre-litigation settlements
>> Other Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms