- Why in news
- On 12 March 2026, the Law Ministry told the Rajya Sabha that over 660.36 crore pages of court records are digitized and 2,444 eSewaKendras are set up under the e-Courts Mission Mode Project.
- What it is
- The e-Courts Mission Mode Project is a national plan to computerize the district and subordinate courts and bring digital services to litigants, lawyers and judges. It runs in phases under the eCommittee of the Supreme Court, with the Department of Justice funding it. Its tools include the Case Information System, the National Judicial Data Grid and eSewaKendras.
- Phase I
- Started in 2011 with an outlay of ₹935 crore. It built basic computer infrastructure in courts.
- Phase II
- Ran from 2015 to 2023 with ₹1,670 crore. It brought the CIS, NJDG and eSewaKendras.
- Phase III
- Covers 2023–2027 with a budget of ₹7,210 crore. It aims at digital and paperless courts.
- Live streaming
- Four more High Courts (Uttarakhand, Calcutta, Telangana, Meghalaya) now live stream, making 11 in all.
- CIS 4.0
- The Case Information System has been upgraded to version 4.0 for faster, more transparent case management.
Don’t confuse with e-Courts vs Centrally Sponsored Scheme for judicial infrastructure: e-Courts builds digital systems; the separate CSS for Development of Infrastructure Facilities for Judiciary funds court buildings and housing.
Don’t confuse with CIS vs NJDG: CIS is the case management software used by courts; NJDG is the online repository of case data drawn from courts.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Digital records and e-filing widen access to justice and cut travel and delay for litigants.
- NJDG and live streaming improve transparency and accountability of courts.
- AI tools can help with case analysis, defect detection and research, easing the burden on judges.
Problems
- The digital divide and low digital literacy limit access for rural and poor litigants.
- Large pendency and vacancies of judges cannot be solved by technology alone.
- Data security, privacy and reliability of AI tools in judicial work raise concerns.
Way forward
- Expand eSewaKendras and train staff, lawyers and litigants in digital use.
- Pair digitization with filling judicial vacancies and procedural reform.
- Set clear safeguards for AI use, data protection and cybersecurity in courts.
Put in your answer
Phase III outlay: Phase III (2023–2027) has a budget of ₹7,210 crore, aiming at paperless courts.
AI in courts: The Supreme Court built an AI/ML defect-identification module with IIT Madras, and NIC developed LegRAA.
- 2019Mains GS2 · Q8Why ICT projects suffer and how to implement them effectively
- 2023Mains GS2 · Q8What inadequacies hamper e-governance's effectiveness, transparency and accountability
- 2025Mains GS2 · Q7Examine whether e-governance favours technology over user-centric design
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Statements
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements:
- 1.Phase I of the e-Courts Mission Mode Project was initiated in 2011.
- 2.Phase II of the project had a larger outlay than Phase III.
- 3.The National Judicial Data Grid and eSewaKendras were introduced in Phase II of the project.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
True or false?
1 of 5
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.Phase I of the e-Courts project began in 2011.
True. Phase I was initiated in 2011 with an outlay of ₹935 crore.
2.Phase II of the project had a larger outlay than Phase III.
False. Phase II had ₹1,670 crore; Phase III has ₹7,210 crore.
3.The National Judicial Data Grid and eSewaKendras were introduced in Phase II.
True. Phase II introduced the CIS, NJDG and eSewaKendras.
4.Phase III plans to extend online courts beyond traffic violations.
True. Phase III aims to extend online courts beyond traffic violations.
5.The eCourts portals are hosted on the NIC's cloud infrastructure.
True. All eCourts portals are hosted on NIC's cloud.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Mains practice
15 marks · 250 words
The Law Ministry has told Parliament that over 660 crore pages of court records are digitized and 2,444 eSewaKendras are set up under the e-Courts Mission Mode Project. In this light, discuss the objectives and phase-wise features of the project, and critically examine the challenges in using digital technology to improve access to justice and reduce pendency in India's courts.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.