Content
- DIGITIZATION OF COURTS (e-Courts Mission Mode Project)
- PROJECTS UNDER PMKSY, PMFME & PLISFPI
DIGITIZATION OF COURTS (e-Courts Mission Mode Project)
Basics & Context
Meaning and Rationale
- Digitization of courts means systematic use of ICT tools for filing, records, hearings, and payments, targeting faster disposal, transparency, cost reduction, and access to justice, reducing dependence on paper-based systems.
- Anchored in Digital India and e-Governance, it addresses pendency, delays, and procedural inefficiencies, aligning justice delivery with the constitutional promise of timely and affordable justice under Article 21.
Evolution of e-Courts Project
- Started 2007 under NeGP; Phase I computerised district courts, Phase II expanded services; Phase III (2023–27) aims at paperless, interoperable, end-to-end digital judiciary.
- Phase III outlay: ₹7,210 crore; focus on legacy digitisation, AI tools, cloud storage, universal e-filing, virtual hearings, and integration with police–prison–forensics systems.
Why in News ?
- Major scale-up: 637.85 crore pages digitised, 3.93 crore VC hearings, 1.03 crore e-filed cases, AI-enabled Digital Courts 2.1, and stronger NJDG dashboards for pendency management.
Relevance
GS II – Polity & Governance
- Judicial reforms & pendency reduction
- Access to justice: Art. 21, 39A
- E-Governance & transparency (NJDG, e-filing)
- Cooperative federalism in court infrastructure
Practice Question
- “Digitization of courts is not merely a technological reform but a structural judicial reform.” Examine in the context of pendency and access to justice in India.(250 Words)
Constitutional / Legal Dimension
- Article 21 (speedy trial) jurisprudence supports digital courts reducing delays via automated scheduling, digital records, and e-service of summons, improving procedural efficiency.
- Article 39A (legal aid) strengthened through e-Seva Kendras and mobile apps, enabling litigants to access case status, orders, and services without repeated physical court visits.
- Supreme Court e-Committee ensures technology adoption respects due process, open courts, privacy safeguards, and evidentiary reliability under modern evidence laws.
Governance / Administrative
- High Courts implement, NIC develops, BSNL connects, Centre funds; reflects cooperative federalism, but creates capacity and coordination gaps across states and court complexes.
- CIS 4.0 universalisation standardises case data nationwide, enabling interoperability with NJDG, e-filing, ICJS, supporting data-driven judicial administration and policy decisions.
- 2,283 district and 48 High Court e-Seva Kendras provide assisted access for litigants, bridging digital divide and ensuring technology does not exclude vulnerable populations.
Economic Dimension
- E-payments processed ₹1,234 crore court fees and ₹63 crore fines, improving transparency, audit trails, and revenue tracking, reducing leakages in court fee systems.
- 29 virtual courts handled 9.81 crore challans, disposed 8.74 crore, realising ₹973.32 crore, showing cost-effective adjudication of petty offences and docket decongestion.
- Paperless systems reduce storage, stationery, logistics costs, and cut litigant travel and opportunity costs, improving overall economic efficiency of justice delivery.
Social / Ethical
- Video conferencing and e-services enhance inclusion for women, elderly, disabled, and remote litigants, reducing intimidation and logistical burdens in sensitive or family-related disputes.
- NJDG public dashboards increase transparency, enabling citizens and researchers to track pendency and disposal trends, strengthening accountability and public trust.
- Ethical issues include digital exclusion, algorithmic bias in AI tools, and privacy risks, requiring strong safeguards and human oversight.
Technology / Security
- Digital Courts 2.1 uses AI-based translation and transcription, addressing India’s linguistic diversity and improving judicial productivity in multilingual proceedings.
- NSTEP processed 6.21 crore e-processes, with 1.61 crore successfully delivered, using GPS-enabled service, reducing delays and manipulation in summons delivery.
- Hosted on NIC cloud, protected by role-based access and SOC training; yet judiciary remains vulnerable to ransomware and data breaches.
Data & Evidence
- 637.85 crore pages digitised; states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh contribute large shares, showing progress but also inter-state disparities.
- 3,240 court complexes and 1,272 jails VC-enabled; 3.93 crore hearings conducted, reducing prisoner transit and security burdens.
- 35 lakh daily portal hits, 3.5 crore app downloads, and crores of SMS/email alerts indicate strong citizen adoption of digital judicial services.
Challenges
- Digital divide and poor connectivity in rural areas risk creating unequal access to digital justice, undermining equity.
- Resistance from bar, limited training, and legacy mindsets slow optimal utilisation of digital platforms.
- Lack of judiciary-specific data governance framework creates ambiguity on data retention, anonymisation, and reuse.
- Pendency driven by judge vacancies, investigation delays, forensic backlogs, beyond mere digitisation.
Way Forward
- Institutionalise hybrid courts with SOPs limiting adjournments and standardising virtual hearings for procedural matters.
- Develop judicial data protection protocols aligned with national data laws, including regular cyber audits and AI oversight.
- Invest in last-mile connectivity, multilingual interfaces, and continuous capacity-building for judges and staff.
- Use NJDG analytics for scientific case allocation and targeted reforms in high-pendency districts.
PROJECTS UNDER PMKSY, PMFME & PLISFPI
Basics & Context
Meaning & Policy Rationale
- Food processing sector links agriculture with industry, reducing post-harvest losses (5–15% range in perishables), raising farmer incomes, enabling value addition, exports, and nutrition security, aligning with Doubling Farmers’ Income vision.
- MoFPI operationalises sectoral growth via PMKSY, PMFME, PLISFPI, targeting infrastructure gaps, micro-enterprise formalisation, and global-scale manufacturing, supporting Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and supply-chain modernisation.
Why in News ?
- Government reported scale: 1,607 PMKSY projects, 1.72 lakh PMFME micro-units, 274 PLISFPI locations, showing accelerated investment, subsidy support, and infrastructure creation across states for food processing expansion.
Relevance
GS III – Economy & Agriculture
- Value addition & farmer income
- Agro-processing, exports, MSMEs
- Supply chains & wastage reduction
GS II – Governance
- Scheme design & implementation gaps
- Cooperative federalism, ODOP
Practice Question
- How does the food processing sector contribute to farmer income, employment, and value addition in Indian agriculture?(150 Words)
Scheme Architecture
PMKSY (Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana)
- Central Sector Scheme, ₹6,520 crore outlay (15th FC cycle), supports mega food parks, cold chains, agro-processing clusters, preservation infrastructure, aiming integrated farm-to-market value chains and reduction of wastage.
- 1,607 approved projects, 1,196 operational, 411 ongoing; ongoing projects involve ₹10,983 crore cost with ₹3,005 crore grants, reflecting substantial public leverage over private agri-processing investments.
PMFME (PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises)
- Centrally Sponsored Scheme, ₹10,000 crore outlay till 2025-26, provides credit-linked subsidy, training, branding, and ODOP support, formalising unorganised micro food units and enhancing rural entrepreneurship.
- 1,72,707 micro-enterprises supported, ₹5,009 crore subsidies approved, with major uptake in Bihar, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, indicating strong rural enterprise response and decentralised food processing growth.
PLISFPI (PLI for Food Processing Industry)
- ₹10,900 crore outlay (2021–27), incentivises large investments, branding abroad, and global champions, targeting segments like ready-to-eat foods, marine products, processed fruits and vegetables.
- 274 approved locations, ₹7,462 crore committed investments, concentrated in Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, signalling industry clustering and scale-driven competitiveness in processed food exports.
Constitutional / Legal Dimension
- Advances Article 39(b) DPSP by promoting equitable distribution of material resources through value addition in agriculture and rural industries, indirectly strengthening livelihood security for farmers and agro-workers.
- Supports cooperative federalism, as states provide land, approvals, and facilitation while Centre offers financial incentives, creating shared responsibility model in agro-industrial development.
Governance / Administrative
- Dashboard monitoring, site inspections, promoter reviews, and bank coordination ensure implementation oversight; penal clauses for delays create accountability mechanisms in public-funded private infrastructure projects.
- Delays mainly due to statutory clearances from pollution boards, utilities, and planning authorities, highlighting regulatory bottlenecks in India’s infrastructure and agro-industrial project ecosystems.
Economic Dimension
- Food processing raises value addition in agriculture (India ~10% vs global ~20–30%), with schemes aiming to narrow this gap, enhance agro-exports, and stabilise farmer price realisation.
- Generates non-farm rural employment, supports MSMEs, FPO linkages, and women entrepreneurs, and reduces import dependence in processed foods, strengthening domestic value chains and forex earnings.
Ethical Dimension
- PMFME’s ODOP approach promotes local specialties, traditional foods, and GI-linked products, preserving culinary heritage while creating income opportunities for rural and women-led enterprises.
- Inclusive design benefits small farmers, SHGs, and micro-entrepreneurs, but unequal state capacity may skew benefits toward administratively stronger states, raising regional equity concerns.
Environmental Dimension
- Cold chains and processing reduce food wastage, indirectly lowering embedded water, energy, and carbon losses, supporting climate-resilient agri-food systems.
- However, processing expansion may raise energy use, packaging waste, and water demand, requiring greener technologies and circular economy practices.
Data & Evidence
- Maharashtra leads PMKSY with 242 projects, ₹1,255 crore grants; shows clustering in agro-industrial states with strong market linkages and logistics ecosystems.
- PMFME leaders: Bihar (28,648 units), Maharashtra (27,360), Uttar Pradesh (22,060), indicating scheme success in populous agrarian states with large informal food sectors.
- PLISFPI investments highest in Gujarat (₹1,343 crore) and Uttar Pradesh (₹1,052 crore), reflecting investor preference for infrastructure-ready and market-accessible regions.
Challenges
- Regulatory delays, credit constraints, and compliance burdens slow project execution, particularly affecting small entrepreneurs with limited administrative capacity.
- Fragmented supply chains, weak branding, and limited R&D restrict India’s move toward high-value processed food exports compared to global leaders.
Way Forward
- Streamline single-window clearances, standardise state regulations, and fast-track approvals for agro-processing infrastructure to reduce gestation delays.
- Promote green processing technologies, branding support, export facilitation, and FPO integration, aligning schemes with SDGs, nutrition security, and climate-smart agriculture.
