Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has set up a high-powered “Judicial Infrastructure Advisory Committee” to prepare a blueprint for strengthening judicial infrastructure across the country to meet the requirements of the 21st century.
Headed by Justice Aravind Kumar of the Supreme Court, the committee includes Justice Debangsu Basak of the Calcutta High Court, Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Somasekhar Sundaresan of the Bombay High Court and the Director General of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD).
The Supreme Court Secretary General will serve as the Member Secretary, the top court announced on Tuesday.
It has been asked to prepare the infrastructural requirements of the Indian judiciary with emphasis on government support towards augmenting the judicial infrastructure in courts pan-India by way of allocation of adequate funds to the tune of 40,000 to 50,000 crores.
The committee has been asked to submit its detailed findings and funding requirements to Sanjeev Sanyal — a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council — by August 31, 2026.
The committee will identify infrastructural constraints faced by the justice delivery system and suggest facilities required for judges, court staff, lawyers, litigants and visitors, and will recommend technology infrastructure to enable quicker exchange of information and reduce delays in disposal of cases.
It has also been asked to suggest measures for the computerisation of courts as part of the e-courts initiative, propose citizen-centric services to make justice delivery more inclusive, and recommend steps to bridge the digital divide and the construction of “modern court complexes” designed for the 21st century.
The panel will also recommend measures for establishing modern court complexes and improving working conditions for judicial officers and administrative staff to enhance efficiency in the justice delivery system.
