India’s judicial system continues to grapple with a massive backlog of long-pending cases. According to data shared by the Union government, more than 10,000 cases have remained pending in the Supreme Court for over 10 years, including 558 cases pending for more than 20 years and 26 cases pending for over 30 years.
The situation is even more severe in the High Courts, where over 80,000 cases have been awaiting disposal for more than 30 years across 25 High Courts. The figures were shared despite the government investing over ₹9,800 crore since 2011 to modernise court infrastructure and expand digital judicial services.
The data underscores the continuing challenge of reducing judicial delays, even as courts adopt technology and infrastructure upgrades. The persistent backlog has renewed attention on the need for faster case disposal, judicial reforms and improved efficiency across India’s justice delivery system.
