How can India strengthen the foundations of its justice delivery system? | In Focus podcast
The Hindu
In this episode, Maja Daruwala and Valay Singh discuss key findings from the India Justice Report 2025 and the institutional reforms needed to ensure fairness, inclusivity, and efficiency.
Recently, a debate about appointing judges has gained momentum in light of cash allegedly being found in the house of a Delhi High Court judge. What began as a discussion about transparency in judicial appointments has widened into a broader conversation about the functioning of India’s justice system, which is already strained by millions of pending cases.
But concerns run deeper than just courtrooms. A recent report, called the India Justice Report 2025, flags critical issues across four pillars of the justice system: police, judiciary, prisons, and legal aid. The report shows that no State or Union Territory has fulfilled its own commitments for improving representation, particularly for women and SC/STs, within the police force. Vacancy rates remain alarmingly high, regular training is neglected, and appointments to the judiciary continue at a sluggish pace, weakening public trust in institutions meant to uphold the rule of law.
Against this backdrop, two critical questions emerge: How can India strengthen the foundations of its justice delivery system? What institutional reforms are urgently needed to ensure fairness, inclusivity, and efficiency for all?
Guests: Maja Daruwala, chief editor, IJR and Valay Singh, Lead, IJR
Host: Nivedita V
Edited by Jude Francis Weston
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