The government agreed to connect the property registration to the NJDG, a step towards improving India's rank of World Bank Easy Doing Business Index. This would lead not only to greater transparency in land disputes but also to quick monitoring of commercial cases.

Property Registration to be Linked with NJDG

According to the Cabinet Secretary's guidelines, there was also a meeting with officials from eCommittee of the Supreme Court, the Land Resources Department and others to enhance the ease of conduct of business ecosystems by connecting the registration of property to National Judicial Data Grid. A working group established a comprehensive action plan.

The Law Ministry said the first meeting was held on October 12 on ease of doing business and the Department of Legal Affairs brought about the simplification of the form and the law and the mediation and settlement of pre-institution (PIMS) in a status report submitted to the Cabinet Secretariat.

To further simplify procedures, the SC's e-Committee met with members of the high courts of Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta and Karnataka. In the World Bank, India ranked 63rd in 2020, compared to 130th out of 190 countries in 2016. India ranks 61st in 2020. Ravi Shankar Prasad, Law Minister, has appealed to all CMs to create special tribunals in compliance with the Relevant Relief Act. In his letter to the secretary of cabinet, the answers were being drawn up, law secretary Barun Mitra said.

The government has established 42 additional higher judicial services posts in Delhi HC to ensure the time-bound disposal of commercial cases further, thereby enabling it to develop new commercial tribunals. There are 22 commercial courts in Delhi.

At the same time, the awareness drive was taken among the chambers of the industry through interactive conferences on enforcing the contract, government reforms and growth. In its previous notice to the four HC, the Ministry of Law requested that no judge under their competence, particularly in the HC commercial divisions, should dispose of cases in a defined timeframe, with more than three adjournments.

The government requested all commercial courts to make e-filing cases compulsory during the pandemic. By June 30 for Delhi and Mumbai and by September 30 for Kolkata and Karnataka, HCs of Delhi, Bombay, Karnataka and Calcutta had to initiate an e-filing process in every dedicated commercial court.

By: Shailaja K