 "Cabinet approves eCourts project phase-III with cost of Rs 7,210 crore")
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the eCourts Project Phase III as a central sector scheme with a financial outlay of Rs. 7,210 crore.
According to the news agency PTI, following the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Anurag Thakur, Information and Broadcasting Minister, said that eCourts mission mode project is the prime mover for improving access to justice using technology in line with the PM's vision of "Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas".
As part of the National eGovernance Plan, the eCourts project has been under implementation since 2007 for ICT enablement of the Indian Judiciary. Phase II of the project will conclude in 2023.
"The third phase aims to move towards digital, online, and paperless courts through digitisation of the entire court records, including legacy records and by bringing in universalisation of e-filing/e-payments through saturation of all court complexes with e-Sewa Kendras," the press release stated.
The third phase will help establish intelligent smart systems for judges and registries. The main objective of the Phase-III is to create a unified technology platform for the judiciary to provide a seamless and paperless interface between the courts, the litigants and other stakeholders.
Under the project, digitisation of court records will make processes more environmentally friendly by minimising paper-based filings. It would also lead to enhanced accuracy and transparency in court proceedings. Further, the use of artificial intelligence (Al) and its subsets machine learning (ML), optical character recognition (OCR), and natural language processing (NLP) to provide a smoother user experience by building a "smart" ecosystem. Virtual participation in court proceedings can reduce costs associated with court proceedings, such as travel expenses for witnesses, judges, and other stakeholders.
The project will also put emphasis on automated delivery of court summons by expanding the National Serving and Tracking of Electronic Processes (NSTEP).
(With agency inputs)