Why in News On May 11, 2026, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant – the 52nd CJI – launched two flagship judicial digitisation tools: “One Case One Data”, a unified case-information platform integrating the Supreme Court, all High Courts, district and taluka courts; and Su-Sahayak, an AI chatbot built by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) with the Supreme Court Registry to help citizens navigate case status, court services, and procedural information. Both are products of eCourts Phase III.
Background: India’s Judicial Digitisation Journey
India’s judicial backlog – over 5.2 crore pending cases across all courts (NJDG, May 2026) – has made digitisation an institutional necessity rather than an option.
| Phase | Timeline | Outlay | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| eCourts Phase I | 2010-2015 | Rs 935 crore | Hardware, basic computerisation |
| eCourts Phase II | 2015-2023 | Rs 1,670 crore | NJDG, e-filing, virtual courts |
| eCourts Phase III | 2023-2027 (4 yrs) | Rs 7,210 crore | AI, blockchain, citizen platforms |
eCourts Phase III was approved by the Union Cabinet in September 2023 and aims to make courts more “digital, online, and paperless.”
“One Case One Data”: Unifying Court Data
What it does
- Single source of truth for every case across the hierarchy – Supreme Court, 25 High Courts, and ~16,000 district and taluka courts
- Automated retrieval and verification of case information – removes duplicate data entry and reconciles records across courts
- Reciprocal data access between High Courts – a HC can pull case history from another HC in real time
- Integrates with NJDG (National Judicial Data Grid) as the pendency analytics backbone
Why it matters
- Currently, lawyers and litigants tracking a case that moved from a district court to a High Court to the Supreme Court must search three separate portals. “One Case One Data” stitches them.
- Reduces opportunities for forum-shopping, parallel proceedings, and fraudulent CNR numbers.
- Builds the data spine for AI-assisted case management.
Su-Sahayak: AI Chatbot for Citizen Access
Architecture
- Built by NIC in partnership with the Supreme Court Registry
- Multilingual; designed for non-lawyer users
- Functions: case status retrieval, listing information, eFiling guidance, payment of court fees, downloading orders, scheduling video hearings
Why it matters
- ~70% of Indian litigants are first-time users with limited legal literacy
- Removes the procedural opacity that benefits intermediaries
- Sits alongside SUPACE (Supreme Court Portal for Assistance in Court Efficiency, 2021) which assists judges with case research
| Tool | Audience | Function |
|---|---|---|
| SUPACE | Judges | Case research, summarisation |
| SUVAS | Judges, lawyers | Translation of orders into Indian languages |
| Su-Sahayak (2026) | Citizens | Procedural assistance, case access |
| NJDG | Public, judges | Pendency dashboard |
| One Case One Data (2026) | Courts, lawyers, litigants | Unified case record |
Constitutional and Statutory Anchor
- Article 39A: Equal justice and free legal aid – DPSP
- Article 21: Right to life – includes timely access to justice (Hussainara Khatoon v. State of Bihar, 1979)
- Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023: governs electronic and digital evidence; recognises records from court IT systems
Concerns and Caveats
- Data protection – court records contain sensitive personal data; the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 has narrow exemptions for judicial data, but redaction protocols need clear standards.
- AI hallucination risk – Su-Sahayak must not produce legal opinions; scope confined to factual procedural information.
- Digital divide – access still mediated by smartphone/internet penetration; eSeva Kendras and common service centres remain essential.
- Algorithmic transparency – citizens have no right yet to know the logic behind any AI-generated response.
UPSC Relevance
GS Paper 2 – Polity and Governance
- Judicial reform and access to justice
- e-Governance initiatives in the judiciary
- Article 39A, Article 21 (Hussainara Khatoon)
GS Paper 3 – Science and Technology
- AI in public service delivery
- Cyber security and data protection (DPDP Act 2023)
Mains Angles
- Examine the role of digital platforms in reducing India’s judicial pendency. Are they sufficient without procedural reform?
- Discuss the ethical safeguards required when AI is deployed in citizen-facing judicial services.
- “Digitisation cannot substitute for adequate judicial strength.” Comment in light of the 1:50,000 judge-population ratio.
Facts Corner – Knowledgepedia
CJI Surya Kant: 52nd Chief Justice of India, in office since 2025 (sworn in November 24, 2025); tenure until February 2027.
eCourts Phase III:
- Approved by Union Cabinet, September 2023
- Outlay: Rs 7,210 crore over 4 years
- Goals: digital, online, paperless courts; expansion of NJDG; AI/ML integration
One Case One Data: Unified case-data platform; integrates SC + 25 HCs + ~16,000 district and taluka courts; reciprocal HC access; launched May 11, 2026.
Su-Sahayak: AI chatbot; built by NIC + SC Registry; multilingual; citizen-facing.
NJDG: National Judicial Data Grid; pendency dashboard; live data from across the country.
SUPACE (2021): SC Portal for Assistance in Court Efficiency – AI tool for judges (not the same as Su-Sahayak).
Hussainara Khatoon v. State of Bihar (1979): SC held speedy trial as part of Article 21.
Article 39A: DPSP – equal justice and free legal aid.
