Judicial backlog mounts: 5.29 crore cases pending across Indian courts
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New Delhi: India’s judiciary is grappling with a staggering backlog of 5.29 crore pending cases across various courts, according to data available on the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) as of July 21.
The largest burden lies with the district and subordinate courts, where 4.65 crore cases remain unresolved. High Courts account for 63.30 lakh pending cases, while 86,742 cases are pending before the Supreme Court, the data revealed on Sunday.
The crisis is compounded by staffing shortages in the lower judiciary. As per the Department of Justice, district and subordinate courts currently operate with only 21,122 judicial officers against a sanctioned strength of 25,843.
The Law and Justice Ministry noted that filling judicial vacancies in lower courts falls under the jurisdiction of respective State and Union Territory governments and the concerned High Courts. In an effort to tackle the mounting caseload, arrears committees have been established in all 25 High Courts to focus on clearing cases pending for over five years. Similar committees have now been set up in District Courts as well.
Minister of State for Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal, recently informed Parliament of the government’s steps to address the judicial backlog and reduce vacancies in higher courts. He said that between May 1, 2014, and July 21, 2025, a total of 70 judges have been appointed to the Supreme Court. During the same period, 1,058 new judges were appointed to the High Courts, and 794 additional judges were confirmed as permanent. The sanctioned strength of High Court judges has risen from 906 in May 2014 to 1,122 as of now.
In addition, Meghwal stated that 865 Fast Track Courts are operational across the country as of June 30, 2025. These courts specifically handle cases involving heinous crimes, senior citizens, women, and children.
With IANS inputs
