India's judicial system faces serious challenges as the judge-to-population ratio is only 22 judges per million people. This is much lower than what is needed for timely justice, according to the Ministry of Law and Justice.
This ratio is based on the Census 2011 population of 1,210.85 million and the number of judges allowed in the Supreme Court, High Courts, and District and Subordinate Courts by 2026. This shortfall shows ongoing structural issues in the judiciary.
Official data shows that the total number of judges allowed in the Supreme Court is 34, with 33 currently in position. In the High Courts, there is a sanctioned strength of 1,122 judges, but only 814 are currently working. This shows a significant vacancy issue. At the District and Subordinate Court levels, there are 20,833 judges who handle most of the litigation in the country.
The Law Commission of India, in its 120th Report, recommended a judge-to-population ratio of 50 judges per million to manage the case load effectively and ensure speedy justice. India's current ratio is still less than half of this target.
The pressure on courts is also seen in prison statistics. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), there were 389,910 undertrial prisoners in 2023. The government noted that the process of resolving cases is solely the judiciary's responsibility. Pendency arises from various factors such as case complexity, types of evidence, cooperation from lawyers, investigation agencies, witnesses, and litigants, as well as the availability of court facilities and staff.
The Central Government, reaffirming its commitment to speedy justice as stated in Article 21 of the Constitution, mentioned it has started several initiatives to reduce pendency. These initiatives include using technology through the e-Courts Mission Mode Project to improve access, efficiency, and transparency, along with financial support to States and Union Territories for enhancing court infrastructure under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Development of Infrastructure Facilities for the Judiciary.
In another questions reply, the Law Minister provided information on judicial appointments made between 2018 and January 23, 2026. During this time, 847 judges were appointed, including 33 from the Scheduled Caste (SC) category, 17 from Scheduled Tribes (ST), 104 from Other Backward Classes (OBC), and 46 from minority communities. Additionally, 130 women judges were appointed to various High Courts, which shows steady progress toward greater diversity on the bench.
