Nearly half of all cases in Indian courts reportedly involve the government as a party. Despite this, no official data exists on the exact extent of government litigation. The issue has persisted for decades, straining the judiciary and wasting public funds. The National Litigation Policy (NLP) 2010 was launched to address this, but poor design and lack of accountability led to its failure.

BulletsIn

• Govt litigation forms almost 50% of total pending cases, worsening judicial backlog.
• No official data on actual govt litigation volume; shows lack of concern or monitoring.
•  Supreme Court since 1970s criticized govt for careless, mechanical litigation approach.
•  Law Commission’s 126th Report (1988) highlighted same issue; little improvement since.
• In 90%+ govt cases, state fails to prove point; many cases are inter-departmental disputes.
• NLP 2010 launched to make govt a responsible litigant; lacked clarity and enforceability.
•  Policy vague—no defined accountability, unclear “suitable action,” weak committees.
•  No monitoring or impact assessment; data gaps persist even after a decade.
•  NLP 2010 became theoretical document—no measurable outcomes or results.
•  Revised NLP under discussion since 2015; experts demand clear roles, standards, and accountability