NEW DELHI : The Government of India on Friday emphasized responsible and disciplined litigation management at a national conference of Union Secretaries and senior law officers, aimed at strengthening institutional litigation governance in line with the Viksit Bharat@2047 vision.
The conference, themed “Strengthening Institutional Litigation Governance for Viksit Bharat @2047,” was held at Bharat Mandapam and brought together senior officials and legal experts to deliberate on improving efficiency in government litigation.
The event was attended by Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice; T. V. Somanathan, Cabinet Secretary; R. Venkataramani; Tushar Mehta; Dr. Niraj Verma, Secretary, Department of Justice; and Dr. Rajiv Mani, Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs. 
Key Focus Areas
Deliberations covered four major litigation segments:
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Service, pension and employment matters
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Infrastructure, compensation and contractual disputes
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Fiscal, taxation and revenue cases
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Regulatory, enforcement and compliance-related litigation
Participants highlighted recurring challenges, including repetitive service-related litigation due to inconsistent implementation of legal positions, inadequate consultation before filing counter-affidavits, divergent stances by ministries, and a tendency to file appeals as a default response.
Infrastructure and Compensation Concerns
In infrastructure and land compensation cases, officials flagged rising interest liabilities, routine challenges to arbitral awards, and weak coordination between technical divisions and legal teams. The under-utilisation of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms was also noted.
The conference recommended structured pre-litigation ADR, especially in land and infrastructure disputes, and careful evaluation of financial exposure before challenging arbitral awards. Early legal vetting of high-value contractual decisions such as termination and debarment was identified as critical to preventing fresh litigation.
Appeal Filtering and Timely Compliance
A central emphasis was placed on reducing avoidable litigation through robust appeal-filtering mechanisms. Ministries were advised to designate nodal officers for coordinated litigation management and ensure time-bound implementation of court judgments to prevent repetitive or contempt cases.
Structured coordination with the Department of Legal Affairs and law officers was stressed to maintain consistent legal positions in policy-sensitive cases.
Strengthening Governance for 2047 Vision
The conference reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reducing unnecessary litigation, ensuring timely filings, and expanding dispute resolution mechanisms. Officials said disciplined litigation management will enhance ease of doing business and strengthen citizen trust in governance, contributing to the broader goal of Viksit Bharat@2047.
