Centre Launches Major Drive to Cut Litigation Burden; Ministries Ordered to Weed Out Obsolete Cases
NEW DELHI: In a decisive move to unclog the nation’s judicial system and streamline administrative processes, Cabinet Secretary T.V. Somanathan has issued a firm directive to all central ministries and departments. Officials have been tasked with auditing and identifying pending legal cases that have become redundant or irrelevant following recent legislative reforms, specifically the decriminalization of various offences under the Jan Vishwas Act.
The mandate requires secretaries to complete this comprehensive review by the end of the current month. This initiative is a strategic component of the government’s broader effort to shed its massive litigation burden, ensuring that the state does not pursue legal battles that have lost their legal or practical foundation due to evolving statutes.
Addressing a Growing Backlog
The scale of the challenge is significant. Currently, the central government is embroiled in over 3.5 lakh litigations that have been pending for more than five years. This staggering figure includes more than one lakh “legacy cases” currently clogging the dockets across 19 high courts.
Data presented to senior officials reveals that the Department of Revenue bears the heaviest load, with approximately 1.27 lakh cases pending for over five years. Other departments with substantial backlogs include the Railways (45,583 cases), the Department of Military Affairs (32,464), the Ministry of Labour and Employment (28,822), and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (27,109).
While sectors such as road transport, defense, and telecommunications may report a lower total volume of pending matters, officials have noted that the financial stakes and economic implications associated with these specific cases are often disproportionately higher.
Impact of the Jan Vishwas Act
The impetus for this pruning exercise stems from the government’s recent efforts to promote ease of doing business and reduce the friction caused by archaic laws. Through two rounds of Jan Vishwas legislation—implemented in 2023 and 2026—the Centre has successfully decriminalized and rationalized various sections of central laws. By replacing criminal penalties with compliance-based provisions, the government has rendered many ongoing prosecutions obsolete. The current directive ensures that the judicial system is updated to reflect these policy shifts, allowing courts to focus on more pertinent matters.
New Portal for Litigation Oversight
To ensure transparency and sustained momentum, the Cabinet Secretary has announced the upcoming launch of a dedicated “Litigation Management Portal,” slated to go live in November. This digital platform will serve as a centralized hub for monitoring the efficacy of litigation management cells within each ministry.
The portal is designed to provide real-time oversight of legacy cases, the status of ongoing appeals, mediation efforts, and the rigorous screening of potential new filings. Ministries will be required to update case statuses on the platform regularly, fostering a culture of accountability. By digitizing the oversight process, the government aims to eliminate the inertia that often keeps minor or outdated disputes tied up in court for years, ultimately lightening the load on India’s judicial infrastructure and taxpayers alike.
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