NEW DELHI, Sep 13: Seeking to upgrade the digital infrastructure of the lower judiciary, the Union Cabinet today approved the third phase of the eCourts Project as a central sector scheme with a financial outlay of Rs 7,210 crore.
To be implemented over four years, the Phase-III of the project will see digitisation of entire court records, both legacy and pending cases, at an estimated cost of Rs 2,038.40 crore. A total of 3,108 crore documents will be digitised, official sources said.
“With the Cabinet approval of eCourts Project Phase-III, we are ushering in a new era of justice delivery in India. Integrating advanced technology will make our judicial system more accessible and transparent,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X.
Briefing media after a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Modi, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said the eCourts Mission Mode Project is the prime mover for improving access to justice using technology in line with the prime minister’s vision of “Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas”.
The sources said that as part of Phase-III, the system will be migrated to cloud technology and the cost estimated for providing 25 petabytes (according to existing requirement) of cloud storage is Rs 1,205.20 crore.
Responding to a question, Thakur said since it is a central sector scheme, the funds and the required hardware will be provided by the Centre.
Later, a tripartite agreement will be signed between state governments, the Centre and the 25 high courts under which maintenance, upkeep and replacement of equipment will be the responsibility of respective states, he said.
The project also seeks to establish and expand the scope of virtual courts for hearing of cases by creating a robust digital infrastructure. The sources said Rs 413.08 crore is the cost estimate for establishment of 1,150 virtual courts.
The project involves integration of duty holders such as courts, jails, police stations and forensic laboratories with the Inter Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS). The cost estimate for expenditure envisaged for successful implementation of the ICJS is Rs 11.7 crore, official sources said.
As part of the National eGovernance Plan, the eCourts Project is under implementation since 2007 for ICT enablement of the Indian judiciary. Phase-II of the project concluded recently.
Phase-III of the e-Courts Project, beginning 2023, in India is rooted in the philosophy of “access and inclusion”, the minister said.
The third phase is aimed at ushering in a regime of maximum ease of justice by moving towards digital, online and paperless courts through digitisation of the entire court records, including legacy records, and by bringing in universalisation of e-filing and e-payments through saturation of all court complexes with e-Sewa Kendras, he added.
It will put in place intelligent smart systems enabling data-based decision-making for judges and registries while scheduling or prioritising cases.
The main objective of Phase-III of the project is to create a unified technology platform for the judiciary which will provide a seamless and paperless interface between courts, litigants and other stakeholders.
Citizens who do not have access to technology can access judicial services from eSewa Kendras, thus bridging the digital divide, the government said.
Digitisation of court records also enables processes to become more environment friendly by minimising paper-based filings and reducing the physical movement of documents.
Besides, virtual participation in court proceedings can reduce costs associated with court proceedings such as travel expenses for witnesses, judges, and other stakeholders, while payment of court fees, fines and penalties can be made from anywhere and anytime. (PTI)
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