Delhi High Court’s Flawed E-Filing System Blocks Citizens’ Access to Justice

Delhi High Court’s Flawed E-Filing System Blocks Citizens’ Access to Justice

RMN News Report Highlights:

• ⚖️ Delhi High Court’s e-filing portal rejects petitions with cryptic codes like “INPRSN UNDRTANG MIS.”

• 🖥️ Broken, non-user-friendly website denies clear guidance to Party-in-Person litigants.

• 📢 Unintelligible communication raises concerns over judiciary’s transparency and professionalism.

• 🚫 Flawed digital system violates citizens’ constitutional right to access justice.

By Rakesh Raman
New Delhi | September 26, 2025

The Delhi High Court’s much-publicized “digital transformation” is turning out to be an illusion. On September 25, 2025, I attempted to file a writ petition as a Party-in-Person (PIP) through the Court’s online e-filing portal. What I encountered instead was a shocking display of incompetence, opacity, and disregard for citizens’ fundamental rights.

Despite uploading a duly signed affidavit along with front and back images of my Aadhaar card and complete personal details, my application for creating a login ID was arbitrarily rejected. The only explanation I received was a cryptic SMS:

“Delhi High Court: Your request for creating Login ID for DHC Online eFiling Portal has been rejected due to following reasons: INPRSN UNDRTANG MIS. If you want, you can apply again with proper document.”

Unintelligible Communication

The phrase “INPRSN UNDRTANG MIS” is not only grammatically incorrect but also incomprehensible. As the Constitution mandates court proceedings in English, such garbled and unprofessional communication raises serious concerns about the judiciary’s transparency, accessibility, and linguistic competence.

Lack of Guidance

The rejection notice vaguely instructs me to “apply again with proper document” without specifying which document is allegedly missing. How can litigants correct a supposed error if the Court itself cannot articulate what went wrong?

Broken Digital Infrastructure

The Delhi High Court’s website is sketchy, poorly structured, and offers scant guidance for PIP litigants. The portal is not user-friendly and appears incapable of meeting the judiciary’s own promise of paperless functioning under the e-Courts Mission Mode Project. Instead of facilitating justice, the digital system is erecting unnecessary barriers.

Violation of Fundamental Rights

By denying me a clear process to file my petition, the Court has infringed upon my fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution — the right to access justice. A dysfunctional e-filing system coupled with arbitrary rejections undermines citizens’ confidence in the judiciary and directly obstructs their constitutional entitlement to seek legal remedies.

A Call for Urgent Reform

I have written a formal complaint to the Registrar General of the Delhi High Court, with a copy to the Chief Justice of India. In my letter, I demanded:

• A clear written explanation of the rejection and a transparent list of required documents for PIP registration.

• Immediate activation of my PIP account so I can file my petition online without physical commuting.

• Correction of language errors on the e-filing portal and provision of plain-English instructions for litigants.

• Strengthening of the Court’s human resources through professional training in English and digital systems.

The Larger Problem

This is not an isolated incident. In my India Judicial Research Report 2024: Decline of the Indian Judiciary and earlier reports, I documented the structural, procedural, and digital shortcomings of Indian courts, including their struggle to adopt technology. What I experienced at the Delhi High Court only confirms those findings: a judiciary ill-prepared for digital governance and, worse, indifferent to the plight of citizens seeking justice.

If India’s higher judiciary cannot provide a functional, intelligible, and transparent e-filing system, its commitment to digital courts and paperless justice will remain nothing more than hollow rhetoric. Citizens deserve better.

By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. He is the founder of a humanitarian organization RMN Foundation which is working in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society.

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