Year-End Review 2025: Department of Justice

• 09 Jan 2026

Source: PIB

Why in News?

The Department of Justice's 2025 annual review highlighted its key achievements in modernizing India's legal landscape through a multi-pronged strategy focused on judicial appointments, digital transformation, legal aid expansion, and infrastructure development.

What are the Key Achievements of the Department of Justice in the Year 2025?

• Strengthening Judicial Capacity: In 2025, 157 new Judges were appointed to High Courts, led by Allahabad (40), Bombay (21), Madhya Pradesh (15), and Rajasthan (15), while 47 Additional Judges were made permanent and 13 had their tenures extended. 
  • Additionally, 12 new Chief Justices were appointed and 44 inter-High Court judge transfers were effected to optimize expertise distribution.
• Expanding Legal Access: Tele law (legal advice over telephone or video conferencing) has achieved massive geographical penetration by covering 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats across 776 districts and provided pre-litigation advice to over 1.12 crore beneficiaries. 
  • District level workshop and training conducted in 638 districts training over 37,000 participants, and concluded with the Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Samman campaign (to inculcate constitutional values) reaching 70.70 lakh people.
• Legal Aid Schemes for Vulnerable Groups: New schemes launched included the Veer Parivar Sahayata Yojana for defence personnel in Srinagar and the NALSA Scheme for Victims of Human-Wildlife Conflict. 
  • The Supporting Potential and Resilience of the Unseen, Held-back and Affected (SPRUHA) Scheme was introduced for dependents of prisoners and crime victims, and marking 30 years of NALSA, a Community Mediation Training Module was also launched.
• Digital Transformation of Courts: India has become a global leader in virtual hearings with over 3.91 crore conducted, and enhanced citizen access via 1,987 eSewa Kendras and the e-Courts mobile app with 3.38 crore downloads.
  • Under the eCourts Phase-III project, over 92 lakh cases were filed electronically, and Rs 1,215 crore was collected as online court fees.
• Enhancing Efficiency in Justice Delivery: Operationalized 774 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs), including 398 exclusive POCSO courts, in 29 States/UTs. These courts disposed of 3.6 lakh cases since inception, with a 2025 disposal rate of 7.41 cases/month/court—more than double the rate of regular courts (3.18 cases/month/court).
• Infrastructure and Monitoring Systemic Reforms: Physical infrastructure was dramatically improved, with Court Halls increasing to 22,663 and Residential Units to 20,033 from 2014 baselines of 15,818 and 10,211 respectively. 
  • Real-time monitoring is enabled via the Nyaya Vikas Portal 2.0, and geotagging 94.66% of projects, while engagement in the World Bank's B-READY framework assessments aims to improve India's global standing in dispute resolution.

National Legal Services Authority (NALSA)

• About: NALSA is a statutory body constituted in 1995 under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, to monitor, evaluate, and implement legal aid programmes across India. It has completed 30 years in 2025.
  • The Chief Justice of India (CJI) is the Patron-in-Chief of NALSA.
• Constitutional Mandate: Formed to give effect to Article 39A of the Constitution of India, which mandates the State to provide free legal aid to ensure equal justice and opportunities for all citizens, particularly those with economic or other disabilities.
  • Also upholds the obligations under Article 14 (equality before law) and Article 22(1) (rights to be informed of grounds for arrest).
• Primary Functions: Lay down policies and principles for making legal services available under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
  • Monitor and evaluate the implementation of legal aid programmes across India.
  • Disburse funds and grants to State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) for implementing legal aid schemes and programmes.
• Integrated Network: NALSA is the apex body of a nationwide network envisaged under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 for providing legal aid and assistance. This network includes:
  • State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs): Headed by the Chief Justice of the respective High Court (Patron-in-Chief).
  • District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs): Chaired by the District Judge of the respective district.
  • Taluk/Sub-Divisional Legal Services Committees: Headed by a senior civil judge.
  • High Court Legal Services Committees and the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee.
• Eligible Groups: Women and Children, Members of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), Industrial Workers, Disabled Persons and Other specified categories. 

Conclusion

The year 2025 was marked by a holistic approach that combined capacity building (judges), technological depth (eCourts), grassroots reach (Tele-Law), specialized aid (new schemes), physical infrastructure, and process efficiency (FTSCs). This multi-directional effort signifies a year of substantial progress in making justice more accessible, efficient, and inclusive for all citizens.

Drishti Mains Question:

Q. Assess the multifaceted initiatives undertaken by the Department of Justice in 2025 to enhance judicial capacity, legal aid, and access to justice in India

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the Tele-Law initiative and its reach in 2025?
Tele-Law provides pre-litigation legal advice and in 2025 covered 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats across 776 districts, benefiting over 1.12 crore citizens.

2. Which key legal aid schemes were launched by NALSA in 2025?
Veer Parivar Sahayata Yojana for defence personnel, Human-Wildlife Conflict Scheme, and SPRUHA Scheme for dependents of prisoners and crime victims were launched.

3. What are the major achievements of the eCourts Phase-III project in 2025?
Over 92 lakh e-filings, digitization of 579 crore pages, 3.91 crore virtual hearings, and 1,987 eSewa Kendras enhanced access and transparency in justice delivery.

4. How many Fast Track Special Courts were operationalized in 2025 and what was their impact?
774 FTSCs, including 398 POCSO courts, disposed 3,61,055 cases with an average rate of 7.41 cases/month/court, outperforming regular courts.

 

UPSC Civil Services Examination Previous Year Question (PYQ)

Prelims

Q. With reference to the Indian judiciary, consider the following statements: (2021) 

1. Any retired judge of the Supreme Court of India can be called back to sit and act as a Supreme Court judge by the Chief Justice of India with the prior permission of the President of India. 
2. A High Court in India has the power to review its own judgement as the Supreme Court does. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?  

(a) 1 only   

(b) 2 only  

(c) Both 1 and 2   

(d) Neither I nor 2  

Ans: (c)

Q. With reference to National Legal Services Authority, consider the following statements: (2013)

1. Its objective is to provide free and competent legal services to the weaker sections of the society on the basis of equal opportunity. 
2. It issues guidelines for the State Legal Services Authorities to implement the legal programmes and schemes throughout the country. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 

(a) 1 only 

(b) 2 only 

(c) Both 1 and 2 

(d) Neither 1 nor 2 

Ans: (c)

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Mains

Q. Who are entitled to receive free legal aid? Assess the role of the National Legal Services Authority(NALSA) in rendering free legal aid in India. (2023)

Q. Critically examine the Supreme Court’s judgement on ‘National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, 2014’ with reference to appointment of judges of higher judiciary in India. (2017)