The vision of Viksit Bharat@2047 dreaming to transform India into a developed nation by the centenary of its independence is very often dominated by and confined to economic growth, infrastructure expansion, technological advancement, and global leadership. However, India’s quest for Viksit Bharat 2047 is unfolding against the backdrop of a declining growth projection for 2026-27, fragile global order, trade disruptions, geopolitically-driven economic sanctions and energy price volatility which threaten to dampen India’s export growth, constrain employment generation and intensify inflationary pressures. But the Viksit Bharat dream extends far beyond the pursuit of higher GDP growth or enhanced economic indicators.

It envisages a comprehensive transformation encompassing efficient governance, inclusive development, social justice, institutional accountability, and the strengthening of democratic foundations. In this broader conception of development, the judiciary occupies a pivotal position. A robust judicial system facilitates economic activity by ensuring the timely enforcement of contracts, protecting property rights, resolving disputes efficiently, and fostering public trust in institutions. Conversely, judicial delays, procedural complexities, and uncertainty in legal outcomes impose significant economic costs and undermine investor confidence, thereby impeding the nation’s developmental aspirations.

The question, therefore should not merely be whether India can grow, but whether the existing justice delivery system is adequately prepared, or can be transformed, to achieve levels of efficiency, accessibility, and effectiveness comparable to those of developed countries. The simple answer is no. Therefore, as India dreams towards the ambitious goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047, its judicial system may emerge as the single biggest barrier. India has one of the lowest judge-to-population ratios in the world. While the Law Commission of India in 1987 recommended a benchmark of 50 judges per million population, India still hovers around 21 judges per million.

In a globalized world faced with similar problems of human misery, currently or historically, comparisons are inevitable. India’s judges/million population is not analogous to developed countries like USA (110), Brazil (77),........

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