India’s courts carry one of the largest case backlogs in the world. The official source is the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), which publishes live counts of cases pending in the Supreme Court, the High Courts and the district and subordinate courts. In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha in early 2025, the government put the total at about 5.19 crore, with nearly 83,000 of those in the Supreme Court alone.
Where the backlog sits
The overwhelming majority of pending cases are in the district and subordinate courts — the courts ordinary people actually use. That is also where landlord–tenant matters usually begin: recovery of rent, return of a security deposit, eviction, or damage to property.
Why rental disputes are part of the problem
- Most rental arrangements are informal: a short agreement, a cash deposit, no condition report.
- When the relationship breaks down, there is little evidence either side can rely on, so disputes turn into long arguments about facts.
- Small amounts — a deposit of two or three months’ rent — are expensive to fight over in court, so many people either give up or wait years.
What would reduce the load
Better records before the dispute, and a way to settle it without a court. A signed agreement, a verified tenant and landlord, a deposit held by a regulated partner, and a move-in inspection that both sides acknowledged turn most disagreements into a short comparison of evidence. The ones that remain can go to mediation first.
NJDG numbers change daily. For the current figure, check the live dashboard at njdg.ecourts.gov.in.
Sources
- News On AIR — over 5.19 crore cases pending in Indian courts (Rajya Sabha reply)
- National Judicial Data Grid (live)
General information, not legal or financial advice. UNETRA is a technology platform; regulated services are provided by partners under their own terms.