e-Courts Mission Mode Project triples case disposals since 2014
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
India's e-Courts Mission Mode Project has fundamentally reshaped the country's judiciary — transforming a paper-heavy, access-restricted system into a digitally trackable justice delivery network. Since 2014, both case filings and disposals have nearly tripled, with courts consistently clearing more cases than are filed each year, according to a factsheet released by the Government of India on 7 August 2026.
Three Phases of Digital Reform
Phase I (2011–2015) computerised over 14,000 courts and built the foundational network infrastructure required for technology-enabled judicial services. Phase II (2015–2023) introduced the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), an e-Filing portal, and e-Sewa Kendras — physical help desks that bridge the digital divide for citizens unfamiliar with online platforms. Video conferencing infrastructure was also expanded more than fivefold during this phase.
The project is now in Phase III (2023–2027), which targets a full transition to digital, paperless, and AI-assisted courts. This phase incorporates large-scale digitisation of legacy records, wider virtual hearings, deeper interoperability across justice institutions, and the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI), analytics, and Optical Character Recognition (OCR).
Scale of Digitisation
Over 753 crore pages of court records have been digitised so far, protecting them from physical damage and enabling faster retrieval. The e-Filing system — operational across District Courts, High Courts, and the Supreme Court — supports both English and regional languages, allowing documents such as complaints, written statements, and applications to be submitted online from anywhere in the country.
Since inception through 30 June 2026, more than 1.25 crore cases have been filed via the e-filing platform. The e-payments system has processed court fees worth ₹1,404 crore and fines totalling ₹75 crore, according to the factsheet. The system also enables online submission of Vakalatnamas and e-signing of documents.
Virtual Hearings and Livestreaming
Video conferencing facilities have been rolled out across 7,553 establishments, including courts, jails, and hospitals. Courts have collectively conducted over 4.18 crore remote hearings through this infrastructure, eliminating the need for citizens, lawyers, and witnesses to travel across cities or states.
Livestreaming of court proceedings is now operational in 11 High Courts. Additionally, 31 Virtual Courts have been established specifically for the online adjudication of traffic challans — these courts have received 11.33 crore challans amounting to ₹1,135.79 crore.
Nyaya Shruti and Interoperability
Nyaya Shruti, launched in 2024 under the Inter-operable Criminal Justice System, enables accused persons, witnesses, police officials, prosecutors, scientific experts, and prisoners to appear and testify virtually via video conferencing. The system is designed to save time and resources while accelerating case resolution across the criminal justice chain.
As India's judiciary continues its digital overhaul, the focus in the coming years will be on deeper AI integration and ensuring that gains in disposal rates translate into meaningful reduction of the country's longstanding case backlog.