Indian citation checker: check SCC, AIR and INSC citations
Read and check Indian case citations in SCC, AIR, SCR and INSC formats, step by step.
Updated October 2026
An Indian case can carry several citations at once: a report citation such as SCC or AIR, and for recent Supreme Court judgments a neutral citation (INSC). A wrong volume, year or page is easy to miss, and an invented citation can look exactly like a real one. This guide shows how to read each format and how to check it.
The main citation formats
- SCC (Supreme Court Cases):
(2017) 10 SCC 1. Year in brackets, volume, report name, first page. - AIR (All India Reporter):
AIR 2017 SC 4161. Report name, year, court (SC for the Supreme Court), first page. - SCR (Supreme Court Reports):
[2017] 10 SCR 1. Year in square brackets, volume, report name, first page. - INSC (neutral citation):
2023 INSC 123. Year, court code, running judgment number. The Supreme Court began assigning these in 2023, so older judgments do not have one. Read more about INSC citations.
How to check a citation
- Identify the format and confirm the pieces are plausible: the year should not be later than the judgment, the court code should match, and the volume and page should be in a believable range.
- Find the judgment by case name and year on the Supreme Court of India's official website or a reputable law report.
- Match the parties and date in the judgment to the citation you were given.
- Open the cited paragraph and confirm it supports the proposition. A real case can still be cited for something it does not say.
- Check the later history for overruling, distinguishing or a reference to a larger bench.
Common mistakes to catch
- A real case name paired with the wrong year or volume.
- A neutral citation attached to a judgment from before 2023.
- A quotation that does not appear anywhere in the judgment.
- Mixing the citation of the High Court decision with the Supreme Court appeal.
Checking faster with a legal MCP
If you use Claude or ChatGPT, a legal MCP connector such as Pledr lets the assistant look up a citation in a real index of Supreme Court of India judgments. Each result returns the case name, citation, paragraph reference and a link to the official judgment, so you can open the source in one click. Pledr is a research aid. It covers Supreme Court judgments only, and you should always read the judgment itself.
Related guides
Quick answers
How do I check an Indian case citation?
Identify whether it is an SCC, AIR, SCR or INSC citation, find the judgment on the Supreme Court of India's website or a reputable law report, match parties, year and case number, then read the cited paragraph.
What does SCC mean in a citation?
SCC stands for Supreme Court Cases, a law report. A citation such as (2017) 10 SCC 1 gives the year, volume and first page.
Do all Supreme Court judgments have an INSC citation?
No. The Supreme Court began assigning neutral INSC citations in 2023, so older judgments have only report citations.