India Justice Report 2025: Himachal Climbs, Punjab Falters on Prisons, Northeast Shows Promise — Uttarakhand Struggles Amid Rising Concerns
April 16, 2025
The India Justice Report (IJR) 2025 has offered fresh insights into how states are performing across the four pillars of justice—Police, Judiciary, Prisons, and Legal Aid. While some states like Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim show encouraging trends, others like Punjab and Uttarakhand reflect critical areas of concern
Himachal Pradesh: Steady and Improving
Himachal Pradesh ranked 2nd among the seven small states, making a notable improvement since IJR 2022, where it stood at 6th. The state performed especially well in legal aid and prison reforms, suggesting a sincere effort to enhance access to justice in remote regions.
Punjab: Strong Judiciary, Weak Prisons
Punjab secured 4th place among 18 large states, with top-three rankings in judiciary, police, and legal aid. However, it dropped to 16th in prison management, raising alarms over overcrowding, undertrial delays, and poor inmate rehabilitation efforts.
-Northeast: Sikkim Leads, AFSPA States Excluded
Sikkim topped the small states category, with top positions in police, judiciary, and legal aid, making it a justice delivery model for other hilly regions. Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura also made the top three.
However, Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland were excluded from rankings due to the continued presence of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which limits independent assessment of policing and justice.
Uttarakhand: Troubling Signs in a Peaceful State
Uttarakhand, once considered a peaceful and law-abiding state, continues to underperform in justice delivery. In IJR 2022, it ranked 16th among 18 large and mid-sized states, trailing behind Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand—states typically associated with deeper governance challenges.
While its 2025 position has improved slightly, it still ranks in the bottom tier, reflecting persistent issues in police accountability, legal aid outreach, and overall infrastructure.
Anoop Nautiyal, founder of the Social Development for Communities Foundation, expressed deep concern over this downward trajectory:
> “This is not the Uttarakhand we knew. The rising tolerance for public aggression and violent rhetoric—often from influential quarters—has started eroding the very democratic values the state was built on. When law and justice take a backseat to fear and showmanship, it’s the common citizen who suffers.”
He added:
> “Improving in reports like the IJR isn’t just about numbers. It’s about how safe and fair people feel their state is.
That begins with accountability at the top, judicial efficiency at the grassroots, and a total rejection of violence in political discourse.”
The Road Ahead
As per the India Justice Report’s own recommendations, states need to:
Increase budgets for legal aid
Fill vacancies in police and judiciary
Upgrade infrastructure
Ensure time-bound justice for undertrials
Uttarakhand, Punjab, and others must now confront these challenges head-on—before public trust slips further.
Justice, after all, is not just about rankings—it’s about people feeling heard, protected, and treated fairly.
#JusticeDelayedIsJusticeDenied #ReformNow #IJR2025 #RuleOfLaw #DemocracyInAction
