MAINS Current Affairs includes Supreme Court Warns Against Unregulated AI use in Judicial Rulings & 16th India-Japan Annual Summit

JUDICIARY; E-GOVERNANCE

1. Supreme Court Warns Against Unregulated AI use in Judicial Rulings

Context: The Supreme Court set aside an National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) judgment, as it found that the tribunal had relied on non-existent, fake and hallucinated judgments/precedents generated using AI.

• The Supreme Court set aside an NCLT judgment after finding that it relied on fake and AI-generated (hallucinated) judicial precedents.
• The Court emphasized that AI can assist judicial functions but cannot replace human judicial reasoning.

Supreme Court’s Observations

• AI-generated content cannot be treated as authentic legal precedent without human verification.
• Judicial decisions must remain under the exclusive control of judges.
• AI should function only as an assistive tool, not as a substitute for judicial discretion.
• The Supreme Court directed the apex bar body to frame guidelines on responsible AI use and prescribe disciplinary action for misuse.

Recent SC Draft Regulations on AI Use in Judiciary

• It permits the use of AI for administrative functionssuch as case management, preparation of cause lists, scheduling of hearings, transcription of court proceedings and translation of judgments.
• AI systems cannot be used for“risk scoring” in court processes, this includes assessing flight risk, predicting recidivism, evaluating bail eligibility, or determining the credibility of parties or witnesses.
• The processing of personal data through AI systems shall be governed by the provisions of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. 
• AI systems must not perpetuate bias on grounds of race, religion, caste, sex, gender, disability, language, economic status, or any other ground prohibited under the Constitution.
• AI-assisted judicial systems should not “widen digital divides” and must remain accessible to all stakeholders.
• To supervise the adoption of AI in the judiciary, it proposes the creation of a full-time “apex body” at the Supreme Court.

Current Use of AI in India’s Judiciary

AI tools developed under the e-Courts Project and NIC assist in:

• Transcription of oral arguments.
• Translation of judgments.
• Legal research.
• Metadata extraction.
• Identifying defects in e-filing.
• Multilingual access to court documents.

Technologies Used

• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Machine Learning (ML)
• Natural Language Processing (NLP)
• Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

Important Initiative

• SUVAAS (Supreme Court Vidhik Anuvaad Software) translates Supreme Court judgments into Indian languages.

Significance of AI in Judiciary

Reducing Case Backlog

• Helps streamline case management and administrative processes.
• Speeds up disposal of cases.

Improving Prison Administration

• Can assist in complaint tracking, investigation monitoring and prison management.

Translation and Accessibility

• Makes judgments available in multiple Indian languages.
• Improves access to justice across linguistic barriers.

Better Legal Research

• Enables faster retrieval of relevant statutes and precedents.

Improving Access to Justice

• AI chatbots and virtual assistants can:
  • Guide litigants.
  • Track case status.
  • Assist in filing petitions.
  • Support self-represented litigants.

Enhanced Administrative Efficiency

• Automates repetitive tasks, allowing judges to focus on adjudication

Concerns/Challenges

• Bias and Dependence: AI-enabled legal research may show search bias, excluding relevant precedents.
  • Over-reliance risks reducing adjudication to rule-based outputs, sidelining nuanced human judgment.
• Data Protection and Privacy: Absence of clear frameworks on storage and use of judicial data raises concerns.
• Infrastructure Gaps: Courts face uneven Internet connectivity, outdated hardware, and limited technical expertise.
• Ethical Concerns: The use of AI in sensitive areas like sentencing and parole decisions raises moral and ethical questions about fairness and justice.
• Exclusion of Human Insight: AI may overlook nuanced factors in cases that require human empathy and judgment.

Way Forward

• Develop comprehensive AI governance guidelines for the judiciary.
• Ensure human oversight in every judicial decision.
• Regularly audit AI systems for bias, transparency and accuracy.
• Strengthen compliance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
• Improve digital infrastructure and judicial capacity building.
• Promote ethical, transparent and accountable AI adoption.
• Use AI to assist, not replace, judicial decision-making.

Conclusion

Artificial Intelligence has the potential to make India’s judiciary more efficient, accessible and transparent, but justice must ultimately remain a human function. A balanced approach combining technological innovation with judicial independence, accountability, privacy protection and constitutional values is essential for responsible AI adoption in the justice system.

INTERNATIONAL

2. 16th India-Japan Annual Summit

Context: The Prime Minister of Japan paid an Official Visit to India for the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit.

• The Prime Minister of Japan visited India for the 16th India–Japan Annual Summit.
• Both countries reaffirmed their Special Strategic and Global Partnership and expanded cooperation in technology, economic security, defence, energy, connectivity, and critical minerals.

Key Outcomes of the Summit

Joint Declaration on Economic Security

• Promote project-based collaboration in semiconductors, critical minerals, ICT including AI, clean energy and pharmaceuticals.

AI Cooperation

• Joint Statement on Cooperationin Artificial Intelligence, elevating bilateral ties to a strategic AI research and development partnership with a roadmap covering the entire AI technology stack and promoting safe, secure, trusted, inclusive and human-centric AI.

Energy Resilience

• Strengthen cooperation in:
  • Strategic crude oil reserves
  • Petroleum reserves
  • Maritime energy transportation
  • Joint investments in energy security.

India–Japan Year of Shared Horizons (2027)

• 2027 declared as India–Japan Year of Shared Horizons.
• Marks 75 years of diplomatic relations.

India–Japan Cooperative Biogas for Growth (CBG)

• Establish 1,000 biogas and organic fertilizer plants.
• Implemented through dairy cooperatives.
• Supports clean energy, rural income and sustainable agriculture.

Critical Minerals Cooperation

• MoU signed for:
  • Geological surveys
  • Mineral exploration
  • Technical exchanges
• Strengthens supply chain security for strategic minerals.

Next Generation Mobility Partnership (NGMP)

• MoU on the Next Generation Mobility Partnership (NGMP) to accelerate private sector-led cooperation in railways, automobiles, roads, aviation, shipbuilding, ports, logistics and urban development.

AI Research Collaboration

• IIT Bombay, BharatGen Technology Foundation and Japan’s National Institute of Informatics will jointly develop Large Language Models (LLMs) focused on scientific reasoning.

Brief on India-Japan Relations

• Establishment of Relations: After WWII, India opted for a separate Peace Treaty with Japan, signed in 1952, marking the start of formal diplomatic relations.
• Growth in Bilateral Ties:India-Japan bilateral relations were elevated to Global Partnership in 2000, Strategic and Global Partnership in 2006, and Special Strategic and Global Partnership in 2014.
• Strategic Synergy:India’s Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) align closely with Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) policy.
• Bilateral Trade:Bilateral trade reached $27.47 billion during FY 2025-26.
  • Imports from Japan continue to outweigh exports.India’s main exports are chemicals, vehicles, aluminium, and seafood; imports include machinery, steel, copper, and reactors.
• Collaboration on Global Initiatives: Japan and India cooperate in initiatives like the International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT).
  • Both countries work together in multilateral frameworks like the Japan-Australia-India-U.S. Quad and the India-Japan-Australia Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI).
• Defence and Security: Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation (2008), Defence Cooperation and Exchanges MoU (2014), Information Protection Agreement (2015), Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services Agreement (2020), and co-development of the UNICORN naval mast (2024).
  • Exercises: Malabar (with the US and Australia), Milan (multilateral naval), JIMEX (bilateral maritime), Dharma Guardian (Army), and Coast Guard cooperation are held regularly.
  • 2024-25 saw the participation of service chiefs in India and Japan, strengthening interoperability.
• Development and Infrastructure Cooperation: Japan has been India’s largest ODA donor since 1958, supporting critical infrastructure and human development projects.
  • ODA disbursement stood at about JPY 580 billion ($4.5 billion) in 2023-24.
  • The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail is the flagship project symbolising advanced technology transfer and skill development.
• Investment: Japan is India’sfifth-largest source of FDI, with $43.2 billion cumulative investment up to 2024.
  • Japan has consistently ranked India as the most promising long-term investment destination.
• Space Collaboration:ISRO and JAXA collaborate in X-ray astronomy, satellite navigation, lunar exploration, and the Asia Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF).
  • In 2016, they signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) for peaceful space exploration and use.
• Tourism: 2023-24 was celebrated as the Year of Tourism Exchange, with the theme “Connecting Himalayas with Mount Fuji”.
• Emerging Focus Areas: Digital cooperation (semiconductors, startups), clean energy, supply chain resilience, industrial competitiveness, and skill development.

Challenges

Trade Imbalance

• Japan exports significantly more to India than it imports.

Geopolitical Challenges

• China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific requires strategic coordination.

Cultural & Language Differences

• Different business practices and language barriers affect deeper integration.

Limited People-to-People Exchanges

• Educational and cultural exchanges remain below potential.

Infrastructure Constraints

• Some regions still lack infrastructure to attract large-scale Japanese investments.

Different Economic Priorities

• India prioritises rapid growth, while Japan places greater emphasis on sustainability and advanced technology.

Way Forward

• Expand bilateral trade and reduce trade imbalance.
• Encourage greater Japanese investment in manufacturing and high technology.
• Deepen cooperation in AI, semiconductors, robotics, space and clean energy.
• Strengthen resilient supply chains and critical mineral partnerships.
• Increase tourism, educational exchanges and cultural diplomacy.
• Promote collaboration on climate change, disaster resilience and green technologies.

Conclusion

The 16th India–Japan Annual Summit further strengthened the Special Strategic and Global Partnership, with a strong focus on economic security, AI, critical technologies, clean energy, defence, connectivity and resilient supply chains. As like-minded Indo-Pacific democracies, both countries remain key partners in promoting a free, open, secure and rules-based Indo-Pacific while advancing sustainable economic growth and technological cooperation.

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