Rajya Sabha Q&A: Judicial Reforms through Institutional Arbitration, e-Courts and Fast Track Courts
SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions | SDG 5: Gender Equality
Ministry of Law and Justice
The Minister of State for the Ministry of Law and Justice informed the Rajya Sabha that the Government has undertaken comprehensive reforms to strengthen institutional arbitration, digitise the judicial system through the e-Courts Mission Mode Project, and enhance the speed and effectiveness of justice delivery through Fast Track Courts.
Institutional Arbitration and IIAC Adoption:
Establishment of IIAC: The India International Arbitration Centre (IIAC) was created as an independent body to facilitate autonomous institutional arbitration.
CPSE Integration: Major public sector enterprises, including ONGC, GAIL, and BPCL, have officially designated IIAC in their dispute resolution clauses as of FY 2024-25.
Regulatory Framework: The IIAC (Conduct of Arbitration) Regulations, 2023, provide a uniform and efficient procedure for resolving commercial disputes.
Reforms Under e-Courts Mission Mode Project:
Seamless Interoperability: The ICJS project enables real-time information exchange across police, courts, and forensics based on a “one data one entry” model.
Biometric Identification: The National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) maintains a repository of 1.23 crore records for rapid criminal identification.
Virtual Adjudication: 29 Virtual Courts have disposed of 8.74 crore traffic challans, collecting over ₹973 crore in payments online.
Process Tracking: The NSTEP system utilizes GPS-enabled delivery for electronics service of summons, having already delivered 1.61 crore processes.
Implementation and Phases of e-Courts:
Historical Progression: Phase I focused on basic computerization, while Phase II revolutionized citizen access via the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG).
Massive Digitization: Phase III aims to digitize 3,100 crore documents to create a robust, searchable preservation regime for all court records.
AI Integration: The Digital Courts 2.1 tool uses AI for real-time translation and transcription, allowing judges to access case papers digitally for paperless operations.
Impact of Fast Track Courts (FTC & FTSC):
Case Disposal Volume: Functional Fast Track Courts have successfully disposed of 40,26,982 cases during the 2023–2025 period.
Specialized Justice: Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) focus exclusively on rape and POCSO Act offences to ensure time-bound disposal for vulnerable victims.
Evaluation and Extension: Following positive assessments by NITI Aayog and the IIPA, the FTSC scheme has been extended to March 2026 to further reduce pendency.
Policy Relevance
Digital Sovereignty in Judiciary: Shifting from physical to paperless courts through Digital Courts 2.1 and the digitization of over 618 crore pages of records to ensure secure, real-time access to justice.
Institutionalizing Alternate Dispute Resolution: Mandating institutional arbitration via the IIAC for major CPSEs to provide a uniform, efficient procedure and reduce the burden on traditional courts.
Systemic Interoperability: Enhancing the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) to ensure seamless data exchange between police, prisons, and courts under the “one data one entry” principle.
Specialized Expedited Justice: Utilizing Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) to prioritize the time-bound disposal of sexual offence cases, directly supporting national safety priorities for women and children.
Evidence-Based Reforms: Implementing data-driven insights from the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) to monitor and proactively manage case pendency across the country.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How will the Ministry of Law and Justice ensure that the newly established digital infrastructure, such as Virtual Courts and NSTEP, remains accessible to litigants in rural areas with limited digital literacy?
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