District and Subordinate Courts Application Software Standardization

Why Standardization  Local Perception of states leading to varying:  software functionality  data schema and  output formats It is therefore required to evolve common application software for implementation in all the courts.

Application Software It has two components : 1. Data Definition 2. Processes

Data Definition Identify common minimum data to be captured in all courts across the country. Benefits are : 1. Integration of all the courts 2. Sharing of data among courts 3. Creation of national judicial grid

Data Definition (Contd.) Examples 1. Will help in smooth transfer of cases from one court to another one court to another 2. Lower court’s proceeding details of a case could be made available to the higher court could be made available to the higher court 3. Copy of judgments could be made available to judicial officers to judicial officers

Processes All processes to be included for computerization of the judicial system would require to follow definitions as laid in CPC and CrPC. It has also been observed that interpretation of processes are varying among High Courts.

Background NIC has been associated with the computerization of courts. There are presently six versions of software available which are implemented in different parts of country. These versions are implemented in multiple states, districts and subordinate courts. NIC has tried to address varying definitions among the courts, but was unable to standardize masters and report formats.

Project Strategy 1. The NIC will identify the various “district and subordinate court software versions”, hereafter referred to as application. 2. Identified applications will be compared in terms of – data structures, functionality, level and type of users. Continue in next slide

Project Strategy (Contd.) 1. While comparing software versions, the aim would be to identify :- a)Minimum common data definition. b)Mandatory processes and related data items to run court application. c)Additional processes as covered in functionality of present software versions along with their justification. d)Features & best practices of other applications. A report would then be prepared on above comparisons.

Project Strategy (Contd.) 2. A software committee will be constituted of experts from legal and academic side who would examine the prepared comparative report. 3. Software committee will decide one of the software versions as the base application to go ahead with the project. This base application would be the one which is most advanced in functionality, usage, data structures, and success in various parts of the country.

Project Strategy (Contd.) 4. Software committee will suggest changes/improvements in the comparative report those would be carried out in the base application. 5. Software will also include list of data items, functionalities and report requirements which is super set of all the software versions currently running. 6. The application so developed will be pilot tested. Department of Justice & e-Committee will organize acceptance testing of the application in one pilot location in each state.

Implementation Policy a) The implementation may start only after required setup is made ready with respect to site preparation requirement and required hardware and system software is installed and sufficient stock of consumables are made available at the proposed site. b) After acceptance report of application software is received from state for pilot project, roll-out of application could be allowed for the remaining sites in the state.

NIC’s Initiative 1.Internal discussion of respective software groups. 2.Comparative reports have been prepared showing processes been implemented and data which is being captured by these versions. 3.Identified list of data items, functionalities and report requirements which is super set of all the six software versions currently running. 4.Identified common minimum processes which are essential for day-to-day court functioning.

Common Minimum Modules 1. Caveat Filing 2. Case Filing (both Civil & Criminal) 3. Case Scrutiny 4. Case Registration 5. Case allocation 6. Court proceedings 7. Detail Entry 8. Case Disposal 9. Case Restoration 10. Case transfer 11. Connected Cases 12. Grouping of Cases 13. FIR Details 14. Cause List Generation 15. Institution Register

Additional Modules 1.Fee and Penalty 2.Documents 3.Change of address 4.Alternate Address 5.Property & EP Schedule (Attached Property) 6.Probate 7.Bail Cases 8.Sureity Management 9.MACT 10.Witness 11.Advocate Details 12.Other Reports

Software Versions Currently Available S/W Version States No. of Sites Technology Platform Backend Front end Delhi Oracle Oracle D2K Maharashtra MySQL PHP & PERL Andhra Pradesh 1 3 Oracle PSP Haryana 2 3 SQL Server ASP West Bengal 1 6 Oracle Oracle Gujarat1 2 MySQL PHP & PERL

Status Comparative reports have been prepared with Identified list of data items, functionalities and report requirements.

Status 1. Software committee has been constituted. 2.Software committee has seen the presentation of NIC software versions. 3.Software committee has studied the comparative reports prepared by NIC in order to decide base application software.

Status 4.Software committee has visited field sites to take user’s feedback who are operating identified s/w versions. - Pune and Delhi visit completed - Bangalore and Hyderabad is planned next month 5.Pune version of software has been selected as base version which is to be tested in few pilot locations. These are : MumbaiChennaiCochin GwaliorDehradunNorth-East

Status 6.NIC is to identify features present in other versions but not in selected versions. Idea is to improve selected base version as super set of all the versions. Status – It is completed. Identified additional modules not present in selected version :- 1. Alternate Address 2. Document Details 3. Property Details 4. Probate Details 5. Execution Details 6. Witness Details 7. Bail filing & Proceeding 8. Surety Management 9. Rent Control

Status 7.NIC is to customize selected base application software for features identified in step 6. - Partially completed (except Property, Rent Control, Surety Management type of modules). 8. NIC is to demonstrate base application software to the users of identified pilot sites. S/W can be installed for test feedback if some hardware arrangements are made. Software has been installed at Mumbai, Chennai and Nainital (in Uttaranchal). Reports is awaited from these locations.

Status 9.Respective High Courts have been requested to get the site ready with required hardware as pilot testing is to be completed by 31 st October NIC representatives at each High Court have also been requested to demonstrate selected version of application software to District & Subordinate Courts official so that acceptance level could be understood.