CJI Surya Kant Forms Judicial Infrastructure Advisory Committee: Rs 50000 Crore Modernisation Plan

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has constituted a Judicial Infrastructure Advisory Committee to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for strengthening judicial infrastructure across India. The committee's mandate includes identifying infrastructural constraints, recommending technology upgrades, and securing governmental support and funding in the range of Rs 40,000 crore to Rs 50,000 crore for courts nationwide. This initiative comes at a time when the Supreme Court's pendency touched a record high of 93,143 cases as of March 31, 2026.

Committee Composition and Leadership

Justice Aravind Kumar of the Supreme Court has been appointed as the Chairperson of the committee. The members include Justice Debangsu Basak of the Calcutta High Court, Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and Justice Somasekhar Sundaresan of the Bombay High Court. The Director General of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) is also a member, reflecting the technical expertise required for infrastructure planning.

The State of Judicial Infrastructure in India

Indian courts at all levels face significant infrastructural challenges. Many district courts and subordinate courts operate from inadequate buildings without proper facilities for judges, lawyers, litigants, and court staff. Common issues include insufficient courtrooms relative to the number of judges, lack of basic amenities such as waiting areas, toilets, and drinking water for litigants, absence of facilities for differently-abled persons, poor digitisation of court records, and inadequate security infrastructure. These deficiencies directly impact the quality and speed of justice delivery.

The Committee's Mandate

The committee has been tasked with identifying infrastructural constraints faced by the justice delivery system across India, suggesting facilities required for judges, court staff, lawyers, litigants and visitors, and recommending technology infrastructure to enable quicker exchange of information and reduce delays in case disposal. The committee is expected to present its findings to Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council, signalling that the initiative seeks to align judicial infrastructure planning with broader economic policy.

The interim report deadline has been set for August 31, 2026, giving the committee approximately three months to conduct its initial assessment.

Previous Efforts and the Centrally Sponsored Scheme

India has had a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the Development of Judicial Infrastructure since 1993-94, which provides funds on a cost-sharing basis between the central and state governments for the construction of court buildings, residential quarters for judges, and lawyers' halls. However, the utilisation of funds under this scheme has historically been uneven, with some states failing to fully utilise their allocations due to delays in land acquisition, construction approvals, and bureaucratic procedures. The proposed Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 crore investment would represent a quantum leap from the current levels of judicial infrastructure spending.

Technology and Court Modernisation

The committee's mandate includes recommending technology infrastructure. Indian courts have made significant strides in digitisation through the e-Courts project and the adoption of virtual hearings during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, challenges remain in areas such as universal adoption of electronic filing, integration of case management systems across courts, digital preservation of records, and connectivity in rural and semi-urban court complexes. The committee's recommendations on technology could accelerate the transition to a fully digital court system.

Key Takeaways

The Judicial Infrastructure Advisory Committee represents a systematic effort to address one of the most persistent challenges facing India's judiciary. The committee's interim report, due by August 31, 2026, will likely set the direction for judicial infrastructure policy for the next decade. Legal professionals and litigants should watch for the committee's recommendations, as improved infrastructure directly correlates with faster case disposal and better access to justice. The involvement of the PM's Economic Advisory Council suggests that the initiative may receive priority in upcoming budget allocations.