India’s judiciary has long been regarded as the guardian of the Constitution, a pillar meant to uphold justice, liberty, and equality. Yet, in recent years, its global standing and domestic perception have revealed a widening gap between promise and performance.

According to the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2025, India ranks 86th out of 143 countries, slipping from 79th in 2024. While some cites rankings around 108th, these typically refer to specific sub-indicators rather than the overall index. Even at 86th, the position reflects systemic challenges that demand urgent attention.

A System Under Strain

1. The Weight of 5 Crore Pending Cases

India’s courts are burdened with nearly 50 million pending cases, making judicial delay one of the most critical barriers to justice. For millions of citizens, justice delayed effectively becomes justice denied.

Civil disputes often stretch over decades, while criminal trials move at a pace that weakens deterrence and public trust.

2. Severe Shortage of Judges

India faces a severe shortage of judicial personnel, with over 5,000 vacancies across various levels of the judiciary.

Legal experts have repeatedly argued that India’s judge-to-population ratio is far below global standards. Some reform proposals, including those discussed in works like Black Justice, suggest scaling the judiciary up to 70,000 judges to meet demand.

3. Infrastructure and Technology Gaps

Despite progress through initiatives like e-courts, many lower courts still lack:

• Adequate infrastructure
• Digital case management systems
• Efficient filing and tracking mechanisms

This uneven adoption of technology continues to slow down case resolution and limit accessibility, especially in semi-urban and rural regions.

4. Concerns Over Judicial Independence

Another growing concern is the perceived tension between the judiciary and the executive. Allegations of political pressure, delays in judicial appointments, and selective prioritization of cases have raised questions about institutional independence.

Even the perception of compromised autonomy can weaken public confidence in the justice system.

Global Comparison, Where India Stands Within South Asia

India ranks 3rd in the region, behind:

• Nepal, ranked 72nd
• Sri Lanka, ranked 74th

It remains ahead of:

• Bangladesh, ranked 125th
• Pakistan, ranked 130th

Compared to African Nations

Several African democracies outperform India on rule of law indicators:

• Rwanda, 39th
• Namibia, 45th
• Mauritius, 47th
• Senegal, 58th

These countries perform better particularly in civil justice delivery, regulatory enforcement, and fundamental rights protection, areas where India struggles.

Among G20 Economies

India falls in the lower tier of G20 nations:

• Germany, 6th
• United Kingdom, 15th
• United States, 27th
• Brazil, 78th
• India, 86th
• China, 92nd
• Mexico, 121st

While India performs better than some emerging economies, it significantly lags behind developed democracies in judicial efficiency and institutional strength.

Breaking Down the Performance

India’s ranking reflects uneven performance across key dimensions:

• Open Government, Rank 44
  A relative strength, indicating transparency and public access to information
• Constraints on Government Powers, Rank 60
  Moderate performance, with scope for improvement
• Criminal Justice, Rank 82
  Affected by delays, investigation inefficiencies, and policing gaps
• Civil Justice, Rank 107
  One of the weakest areas, driven by backlog and slow dispute resolution
• Fundamental Rights, Rank 102
  Concerns around consistent enforcement and protection

This disparity shows that while administrative transparency has improved, judicial delivery remains the weakest link.

Why This Matters

Judicial inefficiency is not just a legal issue, it is an economic and social one.

• Businesses face contract enforcement delays
• Investors perceive higher risk
• Citizens lose faith in institutions
• Crime deterrence weakens

Ultimately, the justice system becomes a bottleneck in India’s development story.

The Road to Reform

Meaningful reform requires structural, technological, and cultural shifts:

1. Expanding Judicial Capacity

A substantial increase in the number of judges is essential. Without addressing capacity, no reform can sustainably reduce backlog.

2. Full-Scale Digital Transformation

From e-filing to virtual hearings and AI-assisted case management, technology must move from pilot initiatives to universal implementation.

3. Strengthening Alternative Dispute Resolution

Encouraging mediation and arbitration can significantly reduce court burden and provide faster resolutions.

4. Ensuring Transparency and Accountability

Institutional mechanisms for performance review, judicial conduct, and timely appointments must be strengthened to build public trust.

5. Rethinking Court Operations

Innovations such as multi-shift courts, specialized benches, and fast-track systems can accelerate case disposal.

A Defining Moment

India’s judiciary stands at a crossroads as it carries the weight of constitutional ideals, yet struggles with operational realities. The gap between the two is not irreversible, but closing it requires political will, institutional courage, and systemic reform at scale. If India aims to position itself as a global economic and democratic leader, strengthening the rule of law is not optional, it is foundational.

Because in the end, a nation’s true progress is not measured by its GDP alone, but by how swiftly and fairly it delivers justice to its people.

There is a sanctuary hidden beyond the veil of the cosmos, a place where gravity surrenders to rhythm and light is born from sound. It is not a heaven built of pearl or gold, but of swara and laya a boundless, breathing architecture of pure melody. In this eternal Mehfil, time does not march; it dances. And here, the greatest architects of human emotion have gathered to sing the universe into bloom.

Imagine standing at the threshold of this celestial grandstand. The air itself hums. Imagine a realm where time holds no sway, where the skies are not made of clouds, but of woven melodies, and the air breathes with the rhythm of a billion beating hearts. There is a place beyond our mortal sight a celestial grandstand, a heavenly Mehfil where the greatest architects of Indian music gather to perform a symphony that echoes across eternity.

They say music never dies, but what happens to the voices that birthed it? They ascend. And in this divine amphitheater, a reunion of unimaginable magic is taking place.

It begins with a single, luminescent note, fragile yet unbreakable. It is Lata Mangeshkar. She sits cloaked in the serenity of moonlight, her voice the silver thread that stitches the stars together. Beside her, crackling with the vibrant, uncontainable energy of a solar flare, is Asha Bhosle. Together, they are the eternal duality of the cosmos the calm and the storm, the devotion and the desire their voices intertwining to create a tapestry of infinite grace.

As their melody swells, the foundation of heaven is laid by the titans of the golden age. Mohammed Rafi breathes out, and his voice becomes the gentle, compassionate wind that cradles the soul, so pure it brings the angels to their knees. A sudden, joyous gust sweeps through it is the irrepressible spirit of Kishore Kumar, whose yodels and laughter paint the cosmic sky in wild, rebellious colors. Grounding this wildness is the sacred geometry of Manna Dey, his classical mastery building invisible temples of flawless pitch, while the towering, clarion call of Mahendra Kapoor echoes like the victorious sunrise over the horizon. Beneath them all, deep and resonant as an ancient, undisturbed ocean, rolls the majestic baritone of Hemant Kumar.

But perfection alone cannot hold the human spirit; heaven, too, needs the exquisite vulnerability of a breaking heart. From the velvet shadows steps Jagjit Singh. With a gentle strum, his voice pours out like warm, liquid amber, holding all the unspoken sorrow and longing of a thousand lifetimes. He is answered by the tender, soothing cadence of Pankaj Udhas, turning the ache of separation into a sublime, spiritual ecstasy. Through their ghazals, they remind eternity that the most beautiful part of being alive is the capacity to feel.

The cosmos demands grandeur, and so the sky splits open to the staggering, all-encompassing voice of S.P. Balasubrahmanyam. His notes cascade like a golden waterfall, vast enough to drown the galaxies, yet gentle enough to bless a single falling leaf. And weaving through this grandeur is a pulse of pure, unadulterated joy Bappi Lahiri, cloaked in his radiant aura, injecting the heavens with a synthesized, driving rhythm that makes the constellations themselves want to dance.

In that celestial mehfil, where time dissolves into a timeless symphony, a new burst of unbridled energy has ignited the stars. It is the arrival of our beloved Pancham Da, the revolutionary R.D. Burman. He steps into the spotlight, not as a calm presence, but as a whirlwind of sonic liberation. His infectious grin, wide as the horizon, promises a disruption that heaven didn’t know it needed. Clad in a shirt that seems woven from psychedelic rainbows and holding a chromatic mouth organ like a royal scepter, he is the avatar of musical rebellion. His spirit, the eternal ‘Rockstar,’ infuses the ancient echoes with pulsating beats and daring basslines, making the celestial domes tremble with a rhythm that bridges a hundred generations of youth. With a mischievous wink, he is not just part of the symphony, he is its wildly, wonderfully unpredictable heart, forever playing the melody of freedom and defining the very soul of the cosmos. He has not just joined the gathering, he has set it on fire, ensuring that every note played from this day forth carries the undeniable, effervescent magic of Pancham.

Then comes the raw, bleeding edge of passion. The skies shimmer as KK (Krishnakumar Kunnath) unleashes his spirit. His voice is a soaring comet, burning with the fierce, unfiltered urgency of youth, of first loves and final goodbyes. It is a voice that rips the heart open and pours light into the wound. Matching this primordial energy is the piercing, earth-shattering cry of Zubeen Garg, his melodies carrying the wild, untamed essence of the mountains and rivers, a folk-infused tempest that bridges the mortal earth with the divine sky.

And what holds this staggering universe of sound together? The heartbeat of the cosmos itself. Fingers moving faster than light, Zakir Hussain commands the tabla. His hands do not just play an instrument; they dictate the rotation of planets, the pulse of quasars, creating a rhythm so transcendent it weaves the living and the ascended into a single, breathing entity.

This is not just a concert but it is a confluence of immortals. They sit together some who have crossed the veil, others whose spirits simply transcend it bound by the one truth that outlives flesh and bone, Music is the soul’s native tongue.

For us, wandering the earth below, the silence they leave in our quiet moments can feel like an ache. But we are not abandoned. If you close your eyes, quiet your mind, and listen to the spaces between your own heartbeats, you will hear them. You will hear the symphony of the heavens, pouring down like rain.

They are there, keeping the universe in tune, preparing the grandest crescendo for the day we all finally come home. We will meet again, the music promises. We will meet in the melody.

The ultimate culmination of human emotion. From the classical to the contemporary, from the soulful to the spectacular, these legends sit together not as competitors, but as cosmic collaborators.

They are rehearsing for the day we all finally return home.

As the final, harmonious chord of this heavenly gathering rings out, it carries a simple, powerful promise to all of us who have ever found solace in their songs, Through the music, we are never truly apart. Keep listening. We will meet again.

Artificial Intelligence is already entering courtrooms. But most judges have little formal training or clear guidance. The document “AI Essentials for Judges” by UNESCO (2026) emphasizes that AI is a powerful tool to enhance efficiency, accessibility, and transparency in the judicial system. However, it must be used responsibly, with safeguards to protect confidentiality, human rights, and judicial independence. Judges and legal professionals are encouraged to adopt good practices, undergo training, and consult UNESCO’s guidelines for ethical AI use in courts.

Since 2013, UNESCO has been involved in the training of judicial actors as part of its Judges Initiative. In total, more than 36,000 judicial operators (judges, prosecutors, clerks, court officials, lawyers) from more than 160 countries have been engaged. In 2021, UNESCO continued this momentum by launching the AI & Rule of Law programme to meet a growing demand for capacity building and support on the challenges of technology in the judicial sector. UNESCO developed a Global Toolkit on AI and the Rule of Law for the Judiciary (also available in Arabic, French, and Spanish) that serves as a foundation for its training programme around the world. – UNESCO

The document “AI Essentials for Judges” by UNESCO (2026) provides an overview of artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications for the judicial sector. It is designed to inform judges, prosecutors, court staff, and lawyers about AI, its uses, benefits, risks, and ethical considerations.

Below are the key points:

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI): Technology that performs repetitive, time-consuming tasks by processing data and mimicking intelligent behavior, including reasoning, learning, and decision-making.

• Generative AI (GenAI): AI that creates content (text, images, video, code) based on large datasets and user prompts.

2. Development & Use of AI in the Judicial Sector Guiding AI Development: Courts can adopt AI by creating strategies, mapping court data, digitizing documents, and collaborating with stakeholders while maintaining control over data and tools.

Applications of AI

• Administrative Support: Automating routine tasks like file sorting, calendar management, and document transcription.
• Document Analysis: Searching, summarizing, translating, and cross-referencing legal documents.
• Decision Support: Assisting judges with data analysis, case law review, and drafting decisions. Improving
• Case Management: AI can automate routine cases, reduce delays, and streamline workflows while maintaining judicial oversight.

3. Use of AI by Judges Steps Before Using AI: Judges should check institutional policies, review ethical guidelines, understand the tool, clarify liability, and invest in training. Good

• Practices: Judges should exercise vigilance, safeguard confidentiality, verify AI outputs, ensure transparency, and report issues.

4. Potential Benefits for Litigants AI can improve access to justice by: Providing clear legal guidance through tools like chatbots.

• Automating simple procedures to reduce costs and delays.
• Simplifying court decisions with plain-language summaries.
• Supporting individuals with low literacy or language barriers through tailored interfaces and translation tools.

5. Risks Confidentiality and Cybersecurity: AI can pose risks like data leaks, profiling of judges, and threats to judicial independence. Courts must regulate data access, ensure secure systems, and avoid public Wi-Fi.

• Ethical and Human Rights Risks: Risks include algorithmic bias, loss of privacy, over-reliance on AI, and threats to human rights. Human rights impact assessments are essential before and after AI deployment.
• AI Hallucinations: Judges must verify AI outputs against laws and case law to detect inaccuracies. AI Replacing Judges: AI cannot replace human judges due to its inability to perform nuanced legal reasoning and ethical decision-making.

6. Preventive and Corrective Actions Bar Associations: Their involvement is crucial to ensure ethical and fair use of AI in legal proceedings.

Appeal Mechanisms: Litigants must have access to human review and transparent appeal procedures for AI-based decisions. EU regulations like GDPR and the AI Act provide frameworks for such mechanisms.

The document references various UN reports and UNESCO initiatives, including the AI & Rule of Law programme, MOOCs, and toolkits to support judiciary in understanding and using AI responsibly. 

Rajdeep Dam

Director,

Club for UNESCO Silchar,

Silchar, Assam, India