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Critical Topics and Their Significance for the UPSC CSE Examination on May 05, 2025

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India Justice Report 2025

For Preliminary Examination:  Important Reports

For Mains Examination: GS II - Indian reports on Judiciary

Context:

Last month, the fourth edition of the India Justice Report (IJR) 2025 was published, which tracks each state’s structural and financial capability to deliver justice. It was first published in 2019 with the support of Tata Trusts. The 2025 edition was undertaken in partnership with DAKSH, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, Common Cause, Centre for Social Justice, Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, and TISS-Prayas

Read about:

India Justice Report (IJR) 2025

Indian Judiciary

Key takeaways:

• The India Justice Report is a comprehensive study that evaluates the capacity and performance of key pillars of the country’s justice system — namely the police, judiciary, prisons, and legal aid.
• First released in 2019 and published by Tata Trusts in collaboration with several civil society partners such as the Centre for Social Justice, Common Cause, and CHRI, the report aims to provide data-driven insights into how effectively states are delivering justice to their citizens.
• The report ranks Indian states based on publicly available government data, using a range of indicators that assess not only the presence of infrastructure and personnel but also factors such as diversity, workload, budget allocation, training, and the accessibility of justice services.
• For example, it looks at vacancies in police forces and courts, the representation of women and marginalised communities, and the availability of legal aid services. It also highlights budgetary allocations and their actual utilisation within each sector.
• One of the major contributions of the India Justice Report is its state-wise ranking, which encourages competition and accountability among states. Larger states and smaller states are ranked separately to ensure a fair comparison. The aim is not only to show where states stand but also to promote improvements through evidence-based policymaking.
• The findings of the report often reveal persistent gaps in the justice system. For instance, many states struggle with high vacancy rates in police and judicial positions, which leads to delayed investigations and prolonged case pendency in courts. It also underscores the underutilisation of funds in the justice sector and highlights how access to justice remains uneven, especially for vulnerable populations.
• By providing a detailed and data-backed snapshot of the justice system, the India Justice Report plays a crucial role in pushing for reforms, enhancing transparency, and encouraging collaborative efforts among government bodies, civil society, and the general public to build a more equitable and efficient justice delivery mechanism in India.

The India Justice Report underscores several ongoing challenges within India’s justice system across key domains:

• Policing remains urban-centric, with a notable reduction in the number of rural police stations between 2017 and 2023. The police-to-population ratio continues to lag at 155 officers per 100,000 people, well below the sanctioned level of 197.
• This shortfall often results in delayed investigations and weakened public safety. Bihar serves as a striking e