The Hindu Editorial (Data and justice) – May 13, 2026

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The Hindu Editorial (Split wide open) – May 13, 2026:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) (noun) – the simulation of human intelligence processes by computer systems; machine intelligence, automated reasoning, artificial intellect.
AI tool (noun) – a software application or system that utilizes artificial intelligence algorithms to perform specific tasks; automated application, intelligent system.
adopt (verb) – to choose to take up, follow, or use a new method or technology; embrace, implement, utilize, accept.
potential (noun) – possibility, capability, promise, capacity.
abuse (noun) – misuse, exploitation, mishandling, misapplication.
long-standing (adjective) – having existed, endured, or continued for a long time; well-established, enduring, long-lasting, deep-rooted.
digitise (verb) – to convert information, documents, or procedures into a digital format; computerise, electronically convert, modernise, format digitally.
judiciary (noun) – the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in a country; judicial system, court system, legal establishment, bench.
initiative (noun) – a new plan or strategy; scheme, program, project, campaign.
the Bench (noun) – a judge or a panel of judges presiding over a court of law; tribunal, panel of judges, judicial body.
Division Bench (noun) – a bench of a High Court or the Supreme Court consisting of two judges who hear appeals and decide on important cases; two-judge panel.
Constitutional Bench (noun) – a bench of the Supreme Court of India consisting of five or more judges, constituted to decide matters involving a substantial question of law as to the interpretation of the Constitution.
‘One Case, One Data’ (OCOD) (noun) – an initiative by the Indian judiciary under the eCourts project to create a standardized, single digital record for each case, ensuring seamless data sharing and eliminating redundant entries across different court levels.
unified judicial data platform (noun) – a centralized and integrated digital system designed to consolidate, manage, and share court records across all levels of the judiciary.
‘Su-Sahayak’ (noun) – an AI-powered legal chatbot integrated into the eCourts framework by the Indian judiciary to assist litigants and lawyers in navigating case statuses, legal procedures, and court information; judicial digital assistant, eCourts automated helpdesk.
AI-powered (adjective) – utilizing artificial intelligence technology to function, analyze, or perform automated tasks; AI-driven, machine-learning-enabled.
chatbot (noun) – digital assistant, virtual helper, conversational agent, automated responder.
digital trail (noun) – the electronic records or data footprint left behind by interactions, movements, or transactions within a digital system; electronic footprint, digital record, cyber trace, data log.
move through (phrasal verb) – progress, advance, navigate, pass through.
litigant (noun) – a person or party involved in a lawsuit or legal dispute; plaintiff, defendant, complainant, disputant.
appeal (noun) – plea, petition, legal challenge, review request.
reciprocal (adjective) – mutual, corresponding, equivalent, complementary.
judicial statistics (noun) – quantitative data, metrics, and records related to the administration, pendency, and disposal of cases in the court system; court data, legal metrics, case statistics.
notable (adjective) – remarkable, significant, prominent, striking.
considering (preposition) – taking something into account when making a judgment; bearing in mind, keeping in view, taking into consideration, given.
wide (adjective) – of great extent, range, or degree; extensive, broad, vast, massive.
variation (noun) – a change or difference in condition, amount, or level; disparity, difference, fluctuation, divergence.
district court (noun) – a subordinate state court in India that has jurisdiction over a specific local district, handling civil and criminal matters at the initial level.
subordinate court (noun) – lower-level courts that operate under the superintendence of the High Court in a state to administer justice at the grassroots.
standardised data (noun) – information that has been uniformly structured, categorized, and formatted to ensure consistency and interoperability across systems; uniform information, structured data, formatted records, systematic data.
administrator (noun) – a person responsible for the management, operation, and organization of a system, institution, or database; manager, executive, controller, supervisor.
hold up (phrasal verb) – delay or block from progressing at a normal pace; delay, stall, hinder, obstruct.
ease (verb) – to make a process less difficult, complicated, or burdensome; facilitate, simplify, alleviate, smooth.
procedural (adjective) – administrative, routine, operational, formal.
bottleneck (noun) – impediment, obstacle, hurdle, blockage.
data-based decision-making (noun) – the process of forming strategies and making choices guided by data analysis rather than intuition; evidence-based planning, analytical reasoning, metric-driven strategy.
front-end (noun) – user interface, user-facing portal.
navigate (verb) – to successfully find one’s way through a complex system, procedure, or digital interface; maneuver, traverse, guide, direct.
cause list (noun) – an official schedule issued by a court listing the cases to be heard by judges on a particular day; court docket, hearing schedule, case roster, trial list.
as with (phrase) – similar to, like, just as, in a similar vein.
state-backed (adjective) – supported, funded, or endorsed by the government; government-sponsored, state-supported, officially funded, public-backed.
rollout (noun) – the official launch, introduction, or phased implementation of a new product, policy, or system; launch, introduction, deployment, unveiling.
interoperability (noun) – the ability of different computer systems, software, or platforms to connect, communicate, and exchange data seamlessly; compatibility, connectivity, integration, cross-functioning.
integrity (noun) – the condition of being accurate, complete, unaltered, and secure; accuracy, reliability, soundness, precision.
legacy record (noun) – older historical documents, files, or data stored in outdated systems or physical formats that need integrating into modern digital platforms; historical data, old archives, past records, physical files.
staff skilling (noun) – workforce training, capacity building, upskilling, employee development.
aspire to (phrasal verb) – aim for, strive for, desire, pursue.
centralised (adjective) – brought under the control of a single, central authority or unified system; consolidated, unified, concentrated, integrated.
digital fingerprint (noun) – a unique digital identifier or set of electronic data that traces the actions, characteristics, or identity of a user or document; electronic trace, cyber identity, digital signature.
bear (verb) – to carry, sustain, or endure a risk, responsibility, or burden; endure, carry, sustain, shoulder.
misuse (noun) – abuse, misapplication, exploitation, manipulation.
“access to justice” (phrase) – the fundamental legal and constitutional principle ensuring that all individuals have equal and effective ability to seek and obtain fair legal remedies, regardless of socio-economic status; legal equality, fair recourse, equitable justice.
introduction (noun) – initiation, launch, implementation, integration.
deepen (verb) – intensify, exacerbate, worsen, increase.
digital divide (noun) – the socio-economic gap between demographics and regions that have access to modern information and communications technology and those that do not; technological gap, digital inequality, access disparity, technology barrier.
cloud backup (noun) – a data storage strategy where digital files and records are copied and archived on remote servers accessible via the internet, ensuring security and easy recovery; online storage, remote backup, off-site archiving, digital vault.
Metropolitan (adjective) – relating to, or denoting a large, densely populated urban area or city; urban, city, municipal, cosmopolitan.
absorb (verb) – to take on or bear the burden or expense of something; bear, assume, handle, shoulder.
cost (noun) – the financial expense or effort required to achieve, purchase, or maintain something; expense, price, expenditure, outlay.
independent (adjective) – operating on one’s own without being employed by or affiliated with a large firm, organization, or government; autonomous, freelance, self-employed, self-standing.
practitioner (noun) – a professional actively engaged in an art, discipline, or profession, such as a lawyer in the legal field; professional, expert, specialist, active member.
lack (verb) – to be without or deficient in a necessary resource, skill, or element; miss, require, need, be without.
the capital (noun) – the financial wealth or resources needed to invest in, start, or maintain an operation or technological upgrade; funds, money, resources, financing.
digital middlemen (noun) – unauthorized or unregulated third-party entities and brokers who exploit online platforms to facilitate services between users and official portals, often charging a fee; online brokers, cyber intermediaries, digital touts, unauthorized facilitators.
e-filing portal (noun) – an official online platform created by the judiciary allowing lawyers and litigants to electronically submit legal documents, petitions, and case files.
potentially (adverb) – possibly, conceivably, perhaps, plausibly.
layer (noun) – an additional level, stage; tier, level, stratum, dimension.
unregulated (adjective) – uncontrolled, unmonitored, unchecked, unpoliced.
voice-first (adjective) – speech-driven, voice-activated, audio-centric.
such as (phrase) – for instance, like, namely, as an example.
Jan Sahayak (noun) – an AI-driven, voice-first digital public infrastructure initiative designed to help Indian citizens access government and legal services intuitively in their native languages; citizen-assistance chatbot, digital public assistant, voice-activated civic portal.
primarily (adverb) – predominantly, essentially, chiefly, fundamentally.
text-based (adjective) – relying entirely or mostly on written words and typing rather than graphical, voice, or audio-visual interactions; written, typographic, document-oriented, script-based.
complex (adjective) – complicated, intricate, convoluted, elaborate.
bias (verb) – to unfairly influence or cause a person or system to be prejudiced against or in favor of a particular group; prejudice, influence, skew, predispose.
marginalised (adjective) – pushed to the edges of society and deprived of equal access to resources, rights, or opportunities; disadvantaged, socially excluded, underprivileged, disenfranchised.
historically (adverb) – traditionally, in the past, previously, canonically.
disproportionately (adverb) – unequally, unevenly, excessively, inordinately.
bail (noun) – the temporary, conditional release of an accused person awaiting trial, often upon the submission of a financial guarantee to ensure their appearance in court; pre-trial release.
substantive (adjective) – essential, fundamental, significant, substantial.
reasoning (noun) – the cognitive process of thinking about something in a logical and sensible manner to form a judgment or legal conclusion; logic, rationale, analysis, justification.
Supreme Court Vidhik Anuvaad Software (SUVAS) (noun) – an AI-trained, machine-learning tool deployed by the Indian judiciary to automatically translate legal documents and judgments between English and vernacular languages.
Supreme Court Portal for Assistance in Courts Efficiency (SUPACE) (noun) – an AI-powered system designed to assist judges by extracting relevant facts, laws, and precedents from voluminous case files without intruding into the decision-making process.
precedent (noun) – a previous legal decision or ruling that is used as a binding or guiding example in subsequent similar cases; standard, legal exemplar, prior ruling, standard-setting case.
line (noun) – boundary, limit, demarcation, dividing line.
hold (verb) – possess, retain, harbour, keep.
tempt (verb) – entice, lure, allure, persuade.
domain (noun) – a specified area of knowledge, activity, control, or exclusive authority; sphere, realm, territory, field.