Context:
The 2025 India Justice Report (IJR) reveals that there are fewer than 1,000 women in senior positions among the 20.3 lakh personnel in the police force. The IJR 2025, initiated by Tata Trusts and supported by several civil society organisations and data partners, tracked the performance of States across four areas — Police, Judiciary, Prisons and Legal Aid.
State Performance Overview
- Top Performers: Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana lead the rankings, reflecting shifting dynamics in justice delivery.
- Karnataka retained its top spot for the second consecutive year.
- Andhra Pradesh moved up to second from fifth in the previous year, reflecting a notable improvement.
- Telangana, which ranked 11th in 2019, maintained its third place.
- Other Observations:
- Historically strong performers like Kerala and Tamil Nadu have shown minor fluctuations but remain stable in the top five.
- Maharashtra declined from its previous top position, and Gujarat and Punjab exhibited inconsistent performances.
- Bottom-tier States: States like Bihar, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal have largely maintained their lower rankings with minor shifts, with Uttar Pradesh improving slightly.
Key Justice Delivery Capacity Indicators
Strengthening Structural Capacity
- Investments in Justice Infrastructure: The report highlights improved budget allocations across key justice delivery institutions, including:
- Court infrastructure: Significant reduction in court hall deficits.
- Technology Integration: Technology has helped fill critical gaps in case processing and police stations.
- Prison Reforms: Targeted interventions such as expanded legal aid and the introduction of open prisons are helping decongest prisons and facilitate prisoner rehabilitation.
- Human Resources:
- Judicial vacancies have reduced in some states, and the focus on forensic staffing has increased.
- Gender diversity has improved within the lower judiciary and police.
- However, the report highlights a severe shortage of judges, with only 15 judges per million population, significantly below the 50 judges per million recommendation by the 1987 Law Commission.
Workload Distribution and Gender Representation
Gender Representation in Justice Delivery
- Women in Justice Roles:
- The percentage of women in judiciary roles increased from 30% in 2017 to 38.3% in 2025, particularly at the district judiciary level.
- Women in the police: There has been a notable increase in women police officers, with 15 states/UTs reporting less than 10% women in police.
- Legal Aid: The share of women paralegal volunteers increased from 36% in 2019 to 42% in 2024, contributing to enhanced legal accessibility for marginalized communities.
- Challenges in Gender Equality: Despite improvements, states like Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal still face gender imbalances in police and judiciary roles.
Judicial Delays and Backlog of Cases
Case Backlog & Delays in Judiciary
- High Courts: 1 in 2 cases pending for more than three years. Exceptions include states like Karnataka, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim, and Tripura.
- District Courts: 40% of cases pending for over three years in states like Andaman & Nicobar, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, and Uttar Pradesh.
Key Issue: Case backlogs and delays in the judiciary remain a significant concern, particularly in district courts, where timely delivery of justice is crucial for social equity.
Critical Resource Shortages in Police and Prisons
Resource Gaps in Police and Prisons
- Police Staffing: There is 1 police personnel for every 831 people on average, highlighting significant staffing deficiencies.
- Prison Medical Facilities: Only 740 medical officers for over 573,220 prison inmates, and 25 psychologists available across all prisons.
Key Takeaways & Future Outlook
- The 2025 India Justice Report highlights both progress and persistent challenges. While some states have improved their justice delivery systems, issues like judge shortages, gender representation gaps, and case backlogs remain key challenges.
- The increased focus on infrastructure, gender diversity, and human resource capacity are positive trends, but they must be matched by institutional reforms and stronger policy initiatives to reduce the judicial backlog and improve access to justice for all citizens.
- Bottom-tier states, especially Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, will need sustained governance and reform efforts to move up in the rankings.
