India, July 10 -- The Union government's move to streamline its litigation practices and prevent unnecessary legal battles marks a welcome step towards responsible governance. The latest set of guidelines issued by the Union law ministry, under the title "Directive for the Efficient and Effective Management of Litigation by Government of India", aims to overhaul the manner in which the government, the largest litigant in the country, handles its cases before courts and tribunals. This is a much-needed corrective, given the alarming pendency of over 46.6 million cases across all levels of the judiciary.

The document lays out a comprehensive blueprint for ministries and departments to curb avoidable litigation, avoid mechanical filing of a...