The Central government has allocated Rs 6,461 crore to the Union law ministry in the Interim Budget 2024 announced on February 1, Rs 1,709 crore more than the previous year.
In the Union Budget 2023, the law ministry was allocated Rs 4,752 crore.
Budgetary allocation to law ministry primarily comprises three heads such as the ministry of law and justice, Election Commission and the Supreme Court of India. In 2023, the department of law and justice was allocated Rs 3,975 crore, while the Election Commission and the Supreme Court were allocated Rs 340 crore and Rs 437 crore, respectively. It maybe noted that the allocation for the Supreme Court was eventually revised to Rs 517 crore.
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In 2024, the ministry of law and justice has been allocated Rs 5,654.32 crore while the Election Commission and the Supreme Court have been allocated Rs 321 crore and Rs 485 crore, respectively.
Third phase of e-courts gets Rs 1,500 crore:
The third phase of government's e-courts project has received an allocation of Rs 1,500 crore in 2024. In budget, the government allocated Rs 7,000 crore for the third phase of the e-courts project.
The Rs 7,000-crore allocation for the e-courts project is over a four-fold jump from the Rs 1,670 crore granted for the second phase of the digital upgrade of courts in 2015.
Launched in 2005, the project was conceptualised to equip the Indian judiciary with information and communication technology by digitising every facet of litigation from initiation to judgement.
The first phase saw the computerisation of district and taluka courts with Case Information Software (CIS) for providing basic case-related services to litigants and lawyers. Phase 2 saw the integration of systems across courts in the country and the introduction of the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), a near real-time repository of data on the pendency and disposal of cases.
Other allocations:
In the budget 2024, the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre has received an allocation of Rs 4 crore, while the mediation and the arbitration councils have received Rs 50 lakh each.
The government has allocated Rs 1,000 crore towards improving judicial infrastructure and gram nyayalays.
PM Modi's announcement on January 28:
Speaking at the Supreme Court's diamond jubilee celebration on January 28, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced an allocation of Rs 800 crore for the expansion of the Supreme Court complex. The announcement of Rs 800 crore is perhaps the largest capital expenditure allocation for the SC since 2012. In 2012, the cabinet approved the construction of an additional office complex (AOC) at an estimated cost of Rs 884.30 crore.
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