By Suryavanshi IAS | June 26, 2025 | UPSC Blog
Why This Matters for UPSC Aspirants
Administrative reforms, institutional transparency, and judicial efficiency are vital topics under GS Paper II (Polity & Governance) and GS Paper IV (Ethics in Governance). The Supreme Court’s latest move is a real-world example of reforms improving accountability and systemic clarity—an ideal case study for Mains answers and Essay papers.
What Happened?
On June 26, 2025, the Supreme Court of India issued its first-ever comprehensive Guidelines for Retention and Destruction of Records, 2025, specifically targeting administrative records—a space previously lacking clear rules unlike judicial records.
Why the Guidelines Were Needed
Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai, in his statement,
emphasized:
·
Massive
increase in the volume and diversity of administrative records.
·
Lack of
uniformity across registry branches.
·
Existing
judicial record rules (Order LVI of Supreme Court Rules, 2013) do not cover administrative files.
This gap led to inefficient archival practices, confusion, and difficulty in retrieval, ultimately affecting transparency and institutional memory.
Key Provisions of the Guidelines
1. Permanent
Preservation
·
Original
notes or paper books with signatures of the CJI and Judges.
·
Policy
files, office orders,
and circulars.
2. Retention Timeline
·
Retention starts after final disposal of any related litigation, audit, or enquiry.
·
Files to be destroyed only after checking pending court cases related to
the subject matter.
3. Record
Linking & Coordination
·
Cross-departmental
files must be coordinated before any destruction.
·
Confidential
branches to be informed in case of overlap.
4. Approval & Supervision
·
Record destruction only after approval from the concerned Registrar.
·
Preferably done during court vacations or low-activity periods.
5. Digital Archiving Clause
·
Scanned copies may be retained beyond the retention period for valid
recorded reasons.
6. Year-wise File Management
·
Financial
documents: maintained by Financial
Year (April–March).
· Other records: maintained by Calendar Year (Jan–Dec).
Why It’s a Landmark Move
·
Promotes
coherence across registry branches.
·
Reduces storage
burden and improves retrieval
efficiency.
·
Ensures compliance
with audit norms and public record management standards.
· Encourages a culture of documentation, accountability, and institutional memory.
UPSC Takeaways
1.
Ethics Angle
– Importance of accountability, transparency, and institutional integrity.
2.
Polity –
Role of CJI and registry reforms in judicial
functioning.
3.
Governance
– Efficient public record management
is a key part of Good Governance.
4. Case Study – Can be cited in GS II (Judicial Reforms), GS IV (Ethics Case Study) or Essay Paper on “Transparency in Institutions”.
Quick Fact
These guidelines were finalized after extensive consultations with registry officials, led by Registrar Pradip Y. Ladekar, with key support from Secretary General Bharat Parashar and S.C. Munghate, OSD in the rank of Secretary General.
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