'It will further transparency': PM Modi hails CJI after he announces SC data to be available on National Judicial Data Grid

Prime Minister Narendra Modi. File Pic

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday lauded Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud after he announced that the Supreme Court will soon be linked to the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), saying such harnessing of technology will further transparency and enhance the justice delivery system in the country.

Hailing the development, PM Modi said on X: "Laudatory step by the Supreme Court and CJI DY Chandrachud Ji. Such harnessing of technology will further transparency and enhance the justice delivery system in our country."

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Thursday announced that the Supreme Court will soon be linked to the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), a repository of data relating to pendency of cases and disposal rate of courts right from the taluka level to the national level.

At present the portal shows data only up to the high court level.

As the CJI started the day's proceedings in the apex court, he said data of the top court will be uploaded on the NJDG on real time basis.

"A small announcement. It is a historic day. It is a unique and informative platform which is developed by the NIC and in house team of Supreme Court. Now at the click of a button you can see real time information on pendency and disposal of cases, year-wise, total pendency of registered and unregistered cases, number of cases decided quorum- wise," the CJI said.

The CJI stated that uploading of data on the NJDG will ensure transparency and accountability in the judicial domain.

In the courtroom, the CJI also displayed the webpage and graph on the NJDG related to the data of the apex court, saying, "At a glance, the webpage gives us the current year's pendency of civil and criminal cases, total pendency of registered and unregistered cases. And registered cases are those which are still defective and defects are not cured by the lawyers yet."

The NJDG is a database of orders, judgments and case details of 18,735 district and subordinate courts and high courts created as an online platform under the eCourts Project. Data is updated on a near real-time basis by the connected district and taluka courts.

It provides data relating to judicial proceedings and decisions of all computerised district and subordinate courts of the country. All high courts have also joined the NJDG through web services, providing easy access facility to the litigant public.

(With inputs from PTI)