India Justice Report 2025 Reveals Stark Gaps in Gender, Infrastructure, and Funding Across Justice System
Last Updated on April 16, 2025 by Athi Venkatesh
The India Justice Report (IJR) 2025, released on April 15, paints a sobering picture of justice delivery in the country. Covering four key pillars — Police, Judiciary, Prisons, and Legal Aid — the report, initiated by Tata Trusts, exposes significant disparities in gender representation, infrastructure, and state-wise performance.
Among the most glaring findings is the absence of women in leadership roles within the police force. Out of 20.3 lakh police personnel nationwide, fewer than 1,000 women hold senior positions. Alarmingly, not a single State or Union Territory has met its own reservation targets for women in policing. Karnataka is the only State that has fulfilled its quotas in both the police and judiciary. Bihar leads in the proportion of women in the State police, yet 71% of its trial and district court cases remain pending for over three years.
Uttar Pradesh emerges as the State with the most overcrowded prisons and over half of its High Court judge positions vacant. In contrast, Tamil Nadu ranks highest in prison management, thanks to increased budget allocations, 100% fund utilisation, and the best officer-to-inmate ratio among large States. However, the State’s rank in policing plummeted from 3rd in 2024 to 13th in 2025, and it now stands 16th in legal aid due to low funding and inadequate volunteer support.
Gujarat records the highest vacancies in High Court judges and staff. Delhi also fared poorly, with 91% of its prison population consisting of undertrials. Infrastructure gaps remain critical: 17% of police stations lack CCTV cameras, and nearly 30% are without women help desks.
Financial investment in justice delivery is disproportionately low. The national per capita spending is ₹1,275 for police, ₹182 for judiciary, ₹57 for prisons, and a mere ₹6 for legal aid. Andhra Pradesh, however, spends the most on prisoners — ₹2,67,673 per inmate annually. The report calls for urgent reforms to ensure a fair, inclusive, and adequately resourced justice system.
