The Indian government is integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the judicial system to enhance efficiency, reduce backlogs, and ensure data security, with ₹7,210 crore allocated for eCourts Phase III.
In a significant step towards modernizing India's judicial system, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law & Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal, recently informed Parliament about the government's active efforts to incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into court processes. This initiative aims to create a "smart" judicial system that streamlines case management, enhances administrative efficiency, and minimizes manual interventions.
To achieve this, technologies such as Machine Learning (ML), Optical Character Recognition (OCR), and Natural Language Processing (NLP) are being leveraged. These advancements will not only improve intelligent scheduling and automated filing but also enable direct interaction with litigants through chatbots and real-time translation.
In response to concerns over data privacy and security, the government has formed a high-level committee to oversee digital infrastructure under the eCourts project, chaired by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna. The initiative comes at a time when 5.19 crore cases remain pending across various courts in India.
Government’s AI Initiative for Judiciary
- The integration of AI, ML, OCR, and NLP will reduce manual data entry, streamline case scrutiny, and enhance the user experience.
- AI-driven applications will focus on intelligent scheduling, automated filing, prediction and forecasting, and improving administrative efficiency.
- The system will also include chatbots for litigants and tools for real-time translation to make legal proceedings more accessible.
In a statement presented to Parliament, the Minister elaborated:
"AI is being used in areas such as intelligent scheduling, prediction and forecast, improving administrative efficiency, Natural Language Processing (NLP), automated filing, enhancing the case information system, communicating with the litigants through chatbots and translation."
Data Privacy & Security Measures
- Recognizing the importance of data protection, a sub-committee of six High Court judges, supported by a technical working group of experts, has been constituted.
- This committee was appointed by CJI Sanjiv Khanna, who also serves as the Chairperson of the Supreme Court’s eCommittee.
- The panel's primary responsibility is to assess digital infrastructure, network solutions, and security frameworks to ensure secure connectivity and authentication mechanisms that protect citizens' data and privacy.
Financial Commitment & eCourts Phase III
- The government has allocated ₹7,210 crore for eCourts Phase III, which includes 24 project components.
- A major focus is on “Future Technological Advancement”, which has been allocated ₹53.57 crore until 2027.
- This component will specifically fund the integration of AI, blockchain, and other emerging technologies to enhance judicial processes.
Rajya Sabha Inquiry on AI Adoption
- The question on AI implementation was raised in Rajya Sabha by Dr. Syed Naseer Hussain, seeking clarity on:
- The government's strategy for AI-driven case management
- Measures to ensure data privacy
- Efforts to reduce judicial backlog
- The response confirmed that AI adoption is a priority, especially with 5.19 crore pending cases in courts across the country.
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