Southern states have emerged as front-runners in India’s justice delivery system, with Karnataka securing the top spot in the fourth edition of the India Justice Report 2025. Released under the aegis of Tata Trusts, the report evaluated 18 large and mid-sized states across four key pillars: policing, judiciary, prisons, and legal aid.
Karnataka led the list with a score of 6.78 out of 10, followed by Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu—all from the south. In contrast, West Bengal ranked lowest with a score of 3.63, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan.
Among small states, Sikkim emerged as the best performer, while Goa ranked last.
Notable improvements were observed in specific sectors:
- Bihar showed significant progress in policing but continues to have India’s lowest police-to-population ratio, at just 81 officers per lakh.
- Rajasthan, Kerala, and Madhya Pradesh excelled in judiciary indicators.
- Odisha and Jharkhand improved most in prison reforms.
- Haryana led gains in legal aid access.
However, the report flags concerns: India’s overall police-population ratio remains stagnant at 155 per lakh, well below the sanctioned 197.5. Alarmingly, prison populations have surged by 50% over the past decade, with undertrials now making up 76% of inmates.
Former Supreme Court judge Sanjay Kishan Kaul, in the report’s foreword, emphasized that systemic reform requires leadership, courage, and public demand to break the status quo.
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