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Attorney General Proposes National Mission for Plea Bargaining to Tackle 5 Cr Case Backlog in Indian Courts

PolitySocial IssuesHIGH
Target:UPSC GS-IIMPSCTeachingSSC GAPrelims HighMains HighStatic GK Link
24 Mar 2026
~2 min
Source: Indian Express
Key Data:Over 5 crore pending cases2005 CrPC amendmentLess than 1% plea bargaining useOver 90% plea deals in US
Bodies:Attorney General of India
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What This Article Covers

1.Attorney General R Venkataramani advocates a 'national mission for negotiated justice' to address India's judicial backlog exceeding 5 crore cases.

2.Plea bargaining, introduced in 2005 via CrPC amendment, is used in less than 1% of cases due to procedural and institutional hesitations, despite its global success.

3.The proposal, 'Sahmati Samadhan Nyaya Mission', focuses on training prosecutors, reforming lawyer fees, judicial encouragement, and public awareness to make plea bargaining effective.

The Big Picture
Prelims · HighMains · High

The Attorney General for India has called for a national mission to institutionalize plea bargaining, a mechanism used in less than 1% of cases, to address the massive backlog of over 5 crore pending cases. This proposal, named the 'Sahmati Samadhan Nyaya Mission', aims to make negotiated settlements mainstream, drawing from global experiences where over 90% of criminal cases are settled through plea deals.

Exam Lens

Quick Exam Facts From News

Total Cases PendingOver 5 crore
Plea Bargaining UseLess than 1% of cases
CrPC Amendment Year2005
Plea Deals in USOver 90% of criminal cases

1-Minute Revision

  • ›Total Cases Pending: Over 5 crore
  • ›Plea Bargaining Use: Less than 1% of cases
  • ›Target this Data: Over 5 crore pending cases; less than 1% plea bargaining use.
  • ›Target this Nodal Body: Attorney General for India (R Venkataramani).
  • ›Target this Legal Point: 2005 amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) introduced plea bargaining.

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Practice exam-style questions, track your score, and strengthen your recall.

Q1Static LinkageEasy

The Attorney General for India, whose recent speech called for a national protocol on plea bargaining, is appointed under which Article of the Constitution of India?

Q2Statement-basedHard

Consider the following statements regarding plea bargaining in India:

1. It was formally introduced into the Indian criminal justice system through an amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure in 2005.

2. It has been adopted in more than 10% of the total criminal cases in India.

3. The mechanism is based on the principle that the certainty of punishment is more effective than its severity.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Q3Data-centricMedium

According to the data presented in the article, what is the approximate number of cases pending in the Supreme Court of India?

Q4Application/ImpactMedium

What is the primary reason cited in the article for advocating a national mission to promote plea bargaining in India?

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