Jaipur, Feb. 3 -- More than 2.50 million cases are pending across district and subordinate courts in the state, the Centre recently revealed. The scale of the backlog was revealed by the Union ministry of law and justice in the Rajya Sabha in reply to an unstarred question asked by BJP MP Madan Rathore, highlighting growing concerns over delays in the delivery of justice. According to district-wise data as of January 19, 2026, placed before Parliament, criminal cases account for the overwhelming bulk of pendency in Rajasthan. Of the total 2,556,000 pending cases, 2,047,000 are criminal matters, while 508,000 are civil cases, spread across 44 judicial districts. Nearly 80% of all pending cases in the state are criminal in nature. The data shows a sharp concentration of pendency in urban centres, particularly Jaipur. Jaipur Metropolitan-I alone has 358,000 pending cases, the highest in the state, followed by Jaipur Metropolitan-II with 309,000 cases. Together, the two Jaipur metro courts account for over 667,000 cases, more than a quarter of Rajasthan's total pendency. Criminal cases dominate in both metro courts, reflecting pressure from urban crime, traffic violations and high litigation volumes. Outside the capital, several districts are also grappling with heavy backlogs. Alwar tops the list with 132,000 pending cases, followed by Jodhpur Metro with 115,000 cases, Udaipur with 114,000 and Kota with 102,000 cases. Bhilwara, with over 80,000 pending cases, is another high-burden district. In most of these districts, criminal cases constitute nearly three-fourths of the total pendency. Newer and smaller districts such as Salumber, Phalodi, Balotra and Jaisalmer report relatively lower caseloads. However, even in these districts, criminal cases far outnumber civil cases, indicating that criminal pendency is a statewide challenge rather than one limited to major cities. Responding to concerns over judicial vacancies, the Union law ministry clarified that filling vacant posts of judicial officers in district and subordinate courts is the responsibility of the respective high courts and state governments, as per constitutional provisions under Articles 233 and 234 and the proviso to Article 309. The ministry also referred to the Supreme Court's 2007 order in the Malik Mazhar Sultan case, which laid down timelines for recruitment of judges to be followed by states and high courts. The Centre noted that the e-Courts project now covers Rajasthan fully, rolled out in phases to bolster digital infrastructure. Some 1,171 courts have been computerised, over 517,000 cases were heard via video conferencing, and around 121,000 cases were e-filed....