Judiciary's Digital Overhaul Under eCourts Phase III Set to Streamline Case Disposal

The Government is committed to reducing case pendency and has taken several initiatives, including the eCourts Mission Mode Project, to provide an ecosystem for faster disposal of cases by the judiciary. Phase-III of the eCourts Project (2023-2027) aims to transition towards digital, paperless courts through large-scale digitisation of records and wider use of virtual hearings.

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Prelims-testable facts

01The eCourts Phase-III project was approved by the Union Cabinet on 13.09.2023 with an outlay of Rs.7,210 crore for a period of 4 years.
02The eCourts Project aims to transform Indian courts into digital and paperless courts through large-scale digitization of records and wider use of virtual hearings.
03Phase-III envisions the adoption of emerging technologies including Artificial Intelligence (AI), analytics, and Optical Character Recognition (OCR).
04The project aims to reduce judicial delays and improve access to justice through technology and judicial reforms.
05The eCourts Phase-III project includes the digitization of legacy and current case records, as well as expanding video conferencing to all courts, jails, and selected hospitals.
06The project aims to extend online courts beyond traffic violations and increase transparency, reducing delays and increasing access to justice for litigants across the country.
07eCourts Phase-III was launched in April 2026 with several digital initiatives including the SSO Portal, e-Summons, ePrison integration, and mobile app v4.0.

Trap alerts

Most people think that eCourts Phase-III is only focused on digitizing court records, but actually it aims to transform Indian courts into digital and paperless courts through large-scale digitization of records and wider use of virtual hearings.
Most people think that the project was launched in 2023, but actually it was launched in April 2026 with several digital initiatives.

Prelims Practice MCQs

Single facteasy

What is the outlay approved for Phase-III of the eCourts Project?

A.Rs.5,000 crore
B.Rs.7,210 crore
C.Rs.10,000 crore
D.Rs.5,500 crore

The outlay approved for Phase-III of the eCourts Project is Rs.7,210 crore. This phase aims to transition towards digital, paperless courts through large-scale digitisation and virtual hearings.

Multiple statementsmedium

Consider the following statements regarding eCourts Phase III: 1. The eCourts Mission Mode Project aims to provide an ecosystem for faster disposal of cases by the judiciary. 2. Phase-III of the eCourts Project was approved on 13.09.2022 with an outlay of Rs.5,000 crore. 3. The Phase-III of the eCourts Project (2023-2027) envisions a transition towards digital, paperless courts through large-scale digitisation of records and wider use of virtual hearings. How many of the above statements are correct?

A.Only one
B.Only two
C.All three
D.None

Statement 1 is correct because it is directly mentioned in Fact 1. Statement 2 is incorrect because the actual approval date for Phase-III was 13.09.2023 (Fact 2) and the outlay was Rs.7,210 crore (Fact 9). Statement 3 is correct because it is a description of the goals of Phase III as stated in Fact 3.

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