Pending cases
Cases still waiting in a court's docket at the time shown on the page.
Understand India's courts before reading the numbers.
A simple guide to the court system, the words used on NyaayWatch, and the safest way to read public court data.
The basic structure
India's judiciary has many courts, but the public data on NyaayWatch is easier to read if you first separate three levels.
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01
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court sits in New Delhi and handles constitutional questions, major appeals, and other powers given by the Constitution and law.
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02
High Courts
High Courts lead judicial administration for their territories. Some High Courts cover one state, and some cover more than one state or Union Territory.
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03
District and subordinate courts
District and subordinate courts are where many ordinary civil and criminal cases begin. They carry a large share of the day-to-day pressure people feel.
How the levels connect
A lower court, a High Court, and the Supreme Court do not do the same job. Read each level on its own terms first.
01
Supreme Court
National constitutional and appellate role.
02
High Courts
State or territory-level constitutional courts.
03
District and subordinate courts
Many civil and criminal cases begin here.
Level
Tracked here
Read with care
Supreme Court
Pending cases, filed cases, cleared cases, and age buckets.
Its role is different from trial courts, so do not rank it against districts.
High Courts
Court-level pressure signals for all 25 High Courts.
Some High Courts cover more than one state or Union Territory.
Lower courts
State, Union Territory, and district-level public aggregates.
Districts vary by size, case mix, and local court structure.
How a case usually moves
This is a simple reading map, not legal advice. A real case can move differently depending on the law, court, case type, and orders passed.
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01
Filed
A case is brought to a court or registry. NyaayWatch counts filings only when they appear in the public aggregate source for that period.
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02
Listed and heard
The case may be listed for hearings, procedural steps, replies, evidence, arguments, or orders. This can take one hearing or many.
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03
Still pending
If the case has not moved out of the pending count by the date shown, it remains part of the backlog pressure you see on the page.
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04
Cleared
A cleared case has moved out of the pending count in the public aggregate. That does not tell you whether someone won, lost, settled, withdrew, or used another legal route.
Words you will see on NyaayWatch
These are plain meanings for reading this site. They are not legal definitions for a court filing.
Filed cases
Cases added to the court during a stated period, usually last month on NyaayWatch pages.
Cleared cases
Cases that moved out of the pending count during the same period. This can happen for different procedural reasons, so read it as clearance pace, not as a comment on case quality.
Clearance rate
How many cases were cleared for every 100 cases filed. A rate below 100 usually means the pending pile grew during that period.
Typical wait
A rough age signal built from available public aggregates. It helps compare pressure, but it does not predict how long any one case will take.
Flagged signal
A signal that asks for attention, such as high backlog pressure or weak clearance pace. It is not a finding about a court, judge, lawyer, or litigant.
Old-case burden
The share of pending cases that have been waiting for several years. It helps show where long waits are concentrated.
File-clear gap
The difference between cases filed and cases cleared in the same period. A positive gap usually adds pressure.
Source date
The date attached to the public source used for the number. Check it before quoting or comparing a page.
How to read a NyaayWatch page
Start with the court level, then the date, then the metric. Do not compare different court levels as if they are one league table.
- Check the court level. Supreme Court, High Court, and district court numbers describe different institutions.
- Check the date. NyaayWatch pages are reviewed snapshots, not a running ticker.
- Check the source line. Every public number should point back to a dated public source and method.
- Read signals carefully. A flag means "look closer", not "someone is at fault".
- Use methodology for detail. Formula choices, caveats, and source limits belong on the method pages.
How to read delay data
Court numbers are useful only when the limits are visible. These rules stop a rough signal from becoming a false claim.
A pending case count shows pressure. It does not explain why a case is pending or who caused the delay.
A high clearance rate can still sit beside a large backlog. A low rate can be temporary. Read it with filed and pending cases.
Two courts can have similar pending counts but very different wait profiles if one has more older cases.
A monthly gap is a signal for attention. A longer trend is stronger than one unusual month.
Common mistakes to avoid
These are the traps that make court-data numbers sound stronger than they are.
- Do not turn flags into accusations. A flag says the number needs attention, not that a person or court acted wrongly.
- Do not rank every court together. Supreme Court, High Court, and district court numbers describe different work.
- Do not quote a number without its date. A court page is easier to check when the source date travels with the number.
- Do not assume missing movement means nothing changed. The public source may refresh after the period shown on NyaayWatch.
- Do not use this as case advice. Aggregate data can explain public pressure, not what to do in one case.
A simple way to cite a number
A good citation includes the court, the number, the date, and the method link. That makes the claim checkable later.
Example:
NyaayWatch reported cases pending in the High Court of Delhi on the page dated 31 March 2026, using public NJDG aggregate data and the method linked on that court page.
Quick questions
Short answers for readers who are new to the Indian court system.
Is this legal advice?
No. NyaayWatch explains public aggregate data. It does not tell you what to do in a case.
Why not show case-level details?
This product is built around aggregate public data and stored evidence. It avoids exposing raw artifacts or case-level material as a public product surface.
Can I compare one High Court with one district court?
You can read both, but be careful. Court levels handle different work, and the metrics are not a single national ranking.
Why do some High Courts cover more than one place?
India's High Court map does not match the state map one-to-one. Some High Courts serve more than one state or Union Territory.
Why are some numbers rounded or simplified?
NyaayWatch uses public aggregate data. The page explains pressure clearly, while the method page carries formula details and caveats.
Where can I check the official sources?
Start with the Supreme Court jurisdiction guide, e-Committee NJDG page, and the method pages linked from each NyaayWatch court page.