Examine the evolution of e-governance in India's judicial/quasi-judicial dispute redressal system, using CONFONET-to-e-Jagriti as a case study.

Q. Examine the evolution of e-governance in India's judicial/quasi-judicial dispute redressal system, using CONFONET-to-e-Jagriti as a case study. (15 marks, 250-350 words)

E-governance in India's dispute redressal has evolved in stages — from merely computerising registries to digitising the entire lifecycle of a case. The journey of consumer commissions from CONFONET to e-Jagriti illustrates this shift from back-office automation to citizen-facing digital justice.

Stage 1: Computerisation of fora (back-office) - CONFONET (Computerisation and Computer Networking of Consumer Fora) digitised cause lists, case status and records, but the consumer still had to physically approach the commission [1].

Stage 2: Statutory backing for digital access - The Consumer Protection Act, 2019, in force from 20 July 2020, replaced the 1986 Act and expressly enabled e-filing of complaints and online fee payment [2][3] — law catching up with technology. - e-Daakhil, launched by the NCDRC on 7 September 2020, operationalised online filing, later extended nationwide with Common Service Centres integrated for rural consumers [4].

Stage 3: Integration and intelligence - e-Jagriti (launched 1 January 2025) unified four legacy systems — CONFONET, e-Daakhil, OCMS and NCDRC-CMS — into one AI-enabled, paperless platform across the NCDRC and all States/UTs [5]. - Outcomes: 1,30,550 filings and 1,27,058 disposals by November 2025; over 2.81 lakh registered users including NRIs filing from the USA, UK and UAE [5]; the NCDRC and ten States crossed a 100% monthly disposal rate in July 2025 [6]. - Features like OTP registration, virtual hearings, voice-to-text and real-time tracking widen access for the elderly, disabled and diaspora, earning the Silver Award at the National Awards for e-Governance 2026 [7].

Persisting challenges - Uneven state adoption — Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra dominate filings [5] — reflecting varying institutional capacity. - Digital literacy gaps, legacy data migration and the need for safeguards where AI assists adjudication.

Thus, technology has moved from supporting the commission to serving the consumer directly. Sustaining this requires capacity-building for weaker States, assisted-access through CSCs, and human oversight of AI — so that Article 39A's promise of accessible justice is realised digitally.

(~330 words)

Sources: 1. One Day Capacity Building Workshop on Modernized CONFONET software called e-Jagriti — CONFONET as legacy backbone modernised into e-Jagriti 2. Centre safeguards consumer rights via various provisions under Consumer Protection Act, 2019 — three-tier commissions, e-filing and online fee payment 3. Consumer Protection Act, 2019 comes into force from today — enforcement date 20 July 2020, repeal of 1986 Act 4. E-Daakhil portal launched by NCDRC on 7th September 2020 — online filing launch and CSC integration for rural consumers 5. e-Jagriti Revolutionizes Consumer Justice in 2025 — launch date, integration of four systems, filings/disposals, users, NRI and state-wise data 6. NCDRC along with 10 States Achieve Over 100% Disposal Rate of Consumer Cases in July 2025 — disposal-rate performance 7. e-Jagriti Wins Silver Award at National Awards for e-Governance 2026 — recognition and AI-enabled paperless features