1. What is the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG)?
The National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) is a real-time portal that tracks the pendency of cases in all Indian courts, providing up-to-date information on pending cases.
2. Why was the Supreme Court not a part of NJDG until now?
While the Supreme Court of India did publish monthly reports on judicial pendency, it was not part of NJDG. As a result, specific details such as the vintage or coram-wise distribution of pending cases were not available through NJDG.
3. What is the current state of pending cases in the Indian judiciary?
According to NJDG data, there are approximately 50.57 million pending cases in Indian courts. Most of these cases are at the district/taluka court level (87.84%), followed by high courts (12.01%). The Supreme Court accounts for 0.16% of the total pending cases.
4. What types of cases are pending in the Supreme Court?
The Supreme Court hears a wide range of cases, including civil, criminal, constitutional, and appeals. Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) make up 55.4% of the total pending cases, followed by civil appeals (23%), and writ petitions (3.54%).
5. What is the age distribution of pending cases in the Supreme Court?
Pendency in the Supreme Court varies by age. Approximately 19.3% of cases are 5-10 years old, while 16.84% are pending for 3-5 years. The largest share of pending cases consists of those filed up to a year ago.
6. How are cases distributed among different benches in the Supreme Court?
The Supreme Court has various benches, with most cases heard by two-judge benches. Only 965 cases are pending before benches requiring three or more judges, while 98.8% of the current pendency is in matters heard by two-judge benches.
7. What is the clearance rate of the Supreme Court?
The clearance rate is a measure of how effectively the Supreme Court disposes of cases. A rate above 1 indicates that the Court is clearing more cases than are being instituted. The Supreme Court's clearance rate was highest in 2022 at 1.015, and it currently stands at 0.95 this year. These FAQs provide insights into the pendency challenge faced by the Supreme Court of India and how it is addressing the issue through NJDG data and clearance rates.
