The Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, is set to inaugurate the Jharkhand High Court’s new Rs 35 crore data centre in Ranchi, alongside the launch of digital services including a new website, an iOS application and an online portal for certified court documents.
The facility is being presented as a major upgrade to the technological infrastructure supporting the high court and subordinate courts in Jharkhand. Justice Ananda Sen, chairperson of the high court’s computer and digitisation committee, said the data centre was the first of its kind in the state.
The centre will provide centralised data storage, advanced backup systems, network security, fire protection and uninterrupted power supply. According to the information provided by the high court’s officials, the infrastructure will support the case information system, document management system, electronic judicial records, video conferencing and other digital initiatives under the e-Courts Mission Mode project.
The stated purpose of the facility is to improve the reliability and security of court technology while preserving digital records and enabling secure access to judicial information. Its users will include judges, advocates, court officials and litigants. The data centre is also expected to strengthen the digital link between the Jharkhand High Court and subordinate courts across the state.
The inauguration programme will also include the launch of the court’s new official website, an iOS application for the high court and district courts, and an online portal through which users can obtain certified copies of court documents and orders. These services are intended to reduce dependence on physical visits for certain court-related information and records.
Justice Sen said the digitisation initiative would include a personalised cause list for advocates and litigants. “The system will make it convenient for lawyers and litigants to track their cases at the touch of a screen on their phones or other devices,” he said.
The new digital services are expected to make case information more accessible to users who need to monitor hearings and proceedings. Bar Council member and advocate Nilesh Agarwal said the data centre would help people seeking legal remedies access reliable information, improve transparency and secure speedy justice.
A senior judicial officer said Justice Kant would also oversee the distribution of a speech-to-text tool and artificial intelligence software to judicial officers across Jharkhand. The tools are expected to assist judicial officers in carrying out their duties more efficiently.
The project forms part of the wider e-Courts Mission Mode effort to expand the use of digital records, online services and video-enabled judicial infrastructure. The high court’s next steps include operationalising the data centre and rolling out the newly announced digital platforms for users of the high court and district courts.
