Legal Information Management and Briefing System (LIMBS) - An Overview

Understanding LIMBS

1. LIMBS is a comprehensive tool that meets the needs of various departments and administrative authorities for efficient management of court matters.
2. As a data repository, LIMBS collects information related to various departments and tribunals, organizes them into groups of customized Management Information System (MIS) reports that can be easily accessed through an intuitive drop-down menu.
3. LIMBS facilitates administrative processes by sending timely alerts to expedite actions by the appropriate functionaries in a given case.

The Necessity for LIMBS

1. Approximately 46% of pending cases in courts across the country involve the Government as a litigant. It is imperative for the executive power to be used to lessen the grievances of future litigants and to change the government's image of being a compulsive litigant, whether as a petitioner or a respondent.
2. The court cases on behalf of the Union of India are managed by the respective departments, and there is no unified system for gathering information about the status and pendency of these cases before various courts.
3. While some departments have developed their own systems for handling cases related to their department, there is a lack of centralized data in this regard.
4. The National Litigation Policy of 2010 has proven to be largely ineffective due to its ambiguity.
5. LIMBS could assist the government in fulfilling its objectives of “Minimum government, maximum governance”, “Digital India”, “Ease of doing business” and improving the Transaction Capacity Governance of the government with an efficient legal framework for speedy dispute resolution.
6. LIMBS can help reduce the considerable expenses involved in resolving cases, save time, and enhance the efficiency of various departments under a ministry.

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Advantages of LIMBS

• LIMBS consolidates all scattered information into one database, creating a professional base for expert advice.
• It assists in reducing government litigations.
• LIMBS offers low-cost web technology access to all stakeholders involved in a court case in a coordinated manner. It provides inputs that are available seamlessly on a 24×7 basis as per the defined access rules. Thus, it is possible to monitor the various stages of a case and its progress continuously through an elaborate set of user-friendly reports.
• LIMBS aims to reduce financial burden, save time, and enhance the efficiency of various Departments of a Ministry. It introduces transparency and a sense of ownership among various stakeholders during the life cycle of a court case.
• LIMBS aids authorities in making 'data-driven decisions, evaluating the performance of various stakeholders, and conducting legal audits.

LIMBS is still in its early stages. To ensure the government functions more cohesively and achieves the desired results, various departments must submit data in a timely and integrated manner.

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The above details would help candidates prepare for UPSC 2021 .

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