Andhra Pradesh climbs from fifth to second in justice delivery ranking

Andhra Pradesh ranked second in the India Justice Report 2025, climbing from fifth in 2022. The state performed strongly in police and prison categories, achieved high women’s representation, and reported no prison overcrowding. Karnataka topped the ranking

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh has secured the overall second rank among 18 large and mid-sized states with a population of over one crore in delivering justice, according to the India Justice Report 2025. The state rose from fifth place in 2022, while Karnataka claimed the top spot in 2025. The state also ranked fourth in the ‘prisons’ category and fifth in ‘legal aid,’ the report said.

“We are delighted with this dramatic turnaround in our ranking. We are committed to being No. 1 in the next ranking,” said TDP national spokesperson Jyothsna Tirunagari. The IJR combines the latest official statistics from government sources with data from the four pillars of justice delivery—police, judiciary, prisons, and legal aid.

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Each pillar was analysed through indicators such as budgets, human resources, workload, diversity, infrastructure, and trends against the state’s declared standards and benchmarks, the report added.

Andhra Pradesh ranked second also under the police pillar, followed by fifth place in the judiciary and legal aid. According to IJR 2025, Andhra Pradesh spends the highest amount on inmates, at Rs 2.6 lakh annually per inmate, or Rs 733 daily, with a prison population of 7,200.

The report noted that both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana do not record overcrowding in prisons, with no facility exceeding 250 per cent occupancy. Under legal aid, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments contribute over 80 per cent of their respective legal aid budgets, with 100 per cent fund utilisation reported in 2022-23.

However, Andhra Pradesh reported 89 per cent utilisation of The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) funds, compared to Telangana’s 61 per cent, the report said. On gender and caste representation, Andhra Pradesh has recorded over a 10 per cent shortfall in SC officers since 2016, while vacancies among ST constables rose from six per cent in 2019 to 11 per cent in 2022.

Both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana reported over 50 per cent women’s representation in district courts. Andhra Pradesh also boasts the highest ratio of women in the police force nationally, at 22 per cent.

The state logged a 21 per cent vacancy rate among constables and 10 per cent among officers in the police department. The IJR highlighted that Andhra Pradesh has one of the lowest vacancy rates for district judges at 12 per cent as of 2025. However, High Court judge vacancies have increased to 19 per cent since 2022.

Reflecting on the report, retired Justice Madan B Lokur said, “The fourth edition of the India Justice Report points out that improvements remain few and far between in the absence of adequate attention to resources. Alas, the burden continues to remain on the individual seeking justice, not the state to provide it.”

Initiated by Tata Trusts and first published in 2019, the IJR is a collaboration among the Centre for Social Justice, Common Cause, the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, and others. Based on 24 months of quantitative research, the 2025 edition tracks the performance of states in strengthening justice delivery systems and their capacity to provide mandated services effectively.

“As India moves forward into a hundred years as a democratic, rule-of-law nation, the promise of rule of law and equal rights will remain hollow unless underwritten by a reformed justice system,” said Maja Daruwala, chief editor of IJR. The report reiterated the need for immediate and foundational reforms, highlighting urgent vacancy fillings and increased representation.

To ensure irreversible change, it emphasised that justice delivery should be designated an essential service.