New Delhi, July 27: Indian courts are grappling with a staggering backlog of 5.29 crore pending cases, according to the latest data from the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) as of July 21.
District and subordinate courts account for the bulk of the pending matters, with over 4.65 crore cases, while 63.3 lakh are awaiting resolution in the High Courts. The Supreme Court has 86,742 cases still pending.
The report also highlights the shortage of judicial personnel at the grassroots level. Against a sanctioned strength of 25,843 judicial officers in district and subordinate courts, only 21,122 posts are currently filled. Recruitment for these posts is the responsibility of the respective State and Union Territory governments in coordination with the High Courts, the Ministry of Law and Justice clarified.
To tackle the backlog, arrears committees have been formed in all 25 High Courts to expedite cases pending for more than five years. Similar committees have also been constituted at the district court level.
Addressing Parliament recently, Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal outlined the government’s efforts to boost judicial capacity. Between May 1, 2014, and July 21, 2025, 70 judges were appointed to the Supreme Court. In the same period, the High Courts saw the appointment of 1,058 new judges, while 794 Additional Judges were made permanent. The sanctioned strength of High Court judges has increased from 906 in 2014 to 1,122 currently.
Additionally, 865 Fast Track Courts are operational across the country as of June 30, 2025, aimed at speeding up trials related to heinous crimes and cases involving women, children, and senior citizens.
