National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG): Strengthening Data-Driven Judicial Governance Under E-Courts Phase III

Policy Update
Khushi

Background

The timely delivery of justice is central to the rule of law and effective governance. However, Indian courts have faced persistent challenges of case pendency, delays in disposal and limited access to consolidated judicial information. To address these gaps through technology, the Government introduced the e-Courts Mission Mode Project under the National e-Governance Plan. The National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) emerged during Phase II (2015–2023) as a central repository of information on cases in District, Subordinate and High Courts, providing data on institution, disposal and pendency through an online platform.

The platform has since developed into a resource for tracking judicial activity at the national, State, district and individual court levels. Its data can be examined by categories such as case type, age, institution and disposal, while the information is updated regularly by courts. The Supreme Court was also brought onto NJDG in September 2023, extending the platform’s coverage across the judicial hierarchy.

Under e-Courts Phase III (2023–2027), the Government has allocated ₹7,210 crore to move towards digital and paperless courts. NJDG is being developed alongside systems such as CIS 4.0, e-Filing and Virtual Courts, with the broader objective of improving access to judicial information and supporting better case management.

Functioning

The National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) brings together case information generated through the Case Information System (CIS) used by courts. Data on cases instituted, disposed and pending is collated and made available through the NJDG portal, where users can examine information by State, district, court, case category and age of pendency. The platform is updated regularly by the respective courts and therefore provides a consolidated picture of judicial activity.

The initiative operates under the e-Courts Project, with the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, working with the e-Committee of the Supreme Court of India and the National Informatics Centre. The e-Courts Project is implemented in a decentralised manner through the respective High Courts. During Phase II, NJDG was developed alongside CIS and digital filing and payment systems; Phase III is now expanding the digital infrastructure and interoperability of these services.

Under Phase III, the Government has provided an outlay of ₹7,210 crore. As of April 2026, ₹2,740.86 crore had been released to High Courts and other implementing agencies. The current phase also includes digitisation of court records, CIS 4.0, e-Filing, Virtual Courts and integration with platforms such as ICJS.

Performance

The implementation of NJDG and the wider e-Courts programme has produced substantial digital infrastructure and service-delivery outputs. By 31 January 2026, more than 660.36 crore pages of court records had been digitised across the country. The e-Filing platform had received approximately 1.07 crore cases, while video-conferencing facilities had supported more than 3.97 crore hearings across 3,240 court complexes and 1,272 jails. Thirty Virtual Courts were operational, and the e-Payments system had processed court-fee transactions worth approximately ₹1,404 crore.

NJDG itself has also developed from a case-data repository into a monitoring interface. Its upgraded dashboard provides public access to case statistics and allows judicial authorities to examine pendency and disposal across different levels of courts. By July 2026, litigants could access information relating to more than 32.46 crore cases and 39.79 crore orders/judgments through NJDG. CIS 4.0 has also been implemented across courts and linked with NJDG, e-Filing, Virtual Courts and ICJS.

Table 1: Key Performance Indicators of NJDG (2026)

INDICATOR	LATEST STATUS
Pending Cases	~ 5 crore
Digitised Court Records	660+ crore pages
Virtual Courts	30
Video Conference Hearings	3.97 crore+
e – Filing Cases	1.07 crore+
Court Fee Collected Digitally	Rs. 1,400 crore+

Source: Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India; Press Information Bureau releases dated 12 March 2026 and 25 July 2026

Impact

The National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) has significantly advanced the Government of India’s objective of promoting a more transparent, accessible, and data-driven judicial system. By making real-time information on case institution, disposal, and pendency publicly available, the platform has improved transparency and enabled judges, court administrators, policymakers, researchers, and citizens to monitor judicial performance more effectively. It has also strengthened evidence-based planning by helping identify courts and regions with high case backlogs, thereby supporting more informed policy interventions.

The integration of NJDG with CIS 4.0, e-Filing, Virtual Courts, and other digital services under e-Courts Phase III has further improved access to justice by reducing dependence on physical court processes and expanding digital services for litigants. These initiatives have contributed to greater efficiency in court administration while supporting the Government’s vision of a modern, technology-enabled justice delivery system. Expert discussions on judicial reforms consistently highlight that improvements in case disposal also depend on factors such as judicial vacancies, infrastructure, procedural efficiency, and administrative capacity. Therefore, while NJDG has successfully achieved its objective of improving transparency, monitoring, and access to judicial data, its long-term impact on reducing pendency will depend on sustained institutional reforms alongside continued technological innovation.

Emerging Issues

The expansion of NJDG and the wider e-Courts ecosystem brings several issues that require attention. Data quality and consistency remain important because NJDG depends on information being regularly updated by individual courts; differences in reporting practices or delays in updating records can affect the reliability of analysis. Another concern is the digital divide across courts, particularly where connectivity, hardware, technical support and trained personnel remain uneven. Although Phase III has made substantial progress in digitising records, the Government’s own documents indicate that digitisation of legacy records remains a major ongoing task.

The increasing volume of digital judicial information also raises questions around privacy, cybersecurity and data protection. The e-Courts project has already considered secure connectivity, authentication and privacy safeguards, but these requirements will become more significant as more services and records move online. The proposed use of Artificial Intelligence, analytics and Optical Character Recognition creates another area requiring careful oversight, particularly to ensure that technology supports judicial administration without compromising confidentiality, accuracy or judicial independence. Finally, interoperability among NJDG, CIS, e-Filing, Virtual Courts and ICJS will require consistent technical standards and effective coordination among the judiciary, government departments and implementing agencies.

Way Forward

The next stage of NJDG should focus not only on expanding digital coverage but also on improving the quality, reliability and practical use of judicial data. Regular data audits, common reporting standards and automated validation mechanisms can reduce inconsistencies and improve the usefulness of information available through the platform. The Government should also continue investing in connectivity, hardware, technical support and training, particularly for courts with weaker digital infrastructure. The ₹7,210 crore allocation under e-Courts Phase III provides an important foundation for this continued expansion.

Greater use of data analytics and Artificial Intelligence can help identify patterns in pendency, case duration and court workload and assist administrators in allocating resources more effectively. However, such applications should remain subject to clear safeguards regarding accuracy, accountability, privacy and human oversight. The Government’s ongoing work on secure connectivity and privacy protection should therefore be integrated into the expansion of digital judicial services.

NJDG should also be developed as an interoperable platform linking judicial data with services such as CIS 4.0, e-Filing, Virtual Courts and ICJS, while maintaining appropriate access controls. Finally, digital reforms need to complement—not substitute for—measures addressing judicial vacancies, court infrastructure and procedural delays. Better data can identify where problems exist, but institutional capacity and timely decision-making are necessary to convert that information into improvements in justice delivery.

References

Department of Justice. (2023). e-Courts Mission Mode Project Phase III. Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India. https://doj.gov.in/
e-Committee, Supreme Court of India. (2026). National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG). https://njdg.ecourts.gov.in/
Government of India. (2023). Cabinet approves e-Courts Phase III for four years. Prime Minister’s Office. https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/cabinet-approves-ecourts-phase-iii-for-4-years/
Ministry of Law and Justice. (2025). Department of Justice Annual Report 2024–25. Government of India. https://doj.gov.in/
Press Information Bureau. (2025). e-Courts Phase III: Transforming the Judiciary through Digital Technology. Government of India. https://pib.gov.in/
Press Information Bureau. (2025). National Judicial Data Grid strengthens transparency and judicial administration. Government of India. https://pib.gov.in/
National Informatics Centre. (2024). National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG). Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India. https://www.nic.in Supreme Court of India. (2026).
National Conference on Re-engineering of Judicial Process through ICT. https://www.sci.gov.in/

About the contributor

Khushi holds a Master’s degree in Sociology. She serves as a Policy Update Articles Intern at IMPRI and has research interests in public policy, governance, digital transformation, and institutional reforms.

Acknowledgement

The author sincerely acknowledges the IMPRI team for their guidance, valuable feedback, and continuous support throughout the preparation of this Policy Update.

Reviewers

Dolly Kaushik and Amrutha

Disclaimer

This article is intended for academic purposes only. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of IMPRI or any government.