75.69% of judges appointed between 2018 and 2023 belong to general category

13.8% women sitting judges in higher judiciary: Law Ministry

The Law Ministry said that 492 out of 650 judges (75.69 per cent) appointed between 2018 and 2023 belong to the general category.

The information was furnished by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal in response to the questions raised by Rajya Sabha MP Dr John Brittas of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Out of the same appointments in the same period, 23 judges are from the Scheduled Caste (SC) category, 10 from the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category, 76 from the Other Backward Classes, and 36 from religious minorities, which is 3.54 per cent, 1.54 per cent, 11.7 per cent, and 5.54 per cent (total about 22.24 per cent). The data about 13 judges are not available, the Ministry said.

In 2023 alone, 5 judges are from the Scheduled Caste (SC) category, 5 from the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category, 20 from the Other Backward Classes, and 8 from religious minorities while 72 judges are from the General Category.

Meanwhile, women judges in the higher judiciary are 13.8 per cent (114) of the total 824 judges working in the Supreme Court and the High Courts. Out of this, there are 3 women judges against a total of 34 in the Supreme Court and 111 out of a total of 790 in the High Courts.

In a separate reply, he said the apex court was working with its sanctioned strength of 34 judges, including the Chief Justice of India, and 25 high courts have a cumulative shortage of 324 judges where 790 judges are working as against the sanctioned strength of 1,114.

In regards to vacancies in courts, the Law Ministry said that as of today, 122 proposals received from the High Court Collegium for appointment of judges are at different stages of processing.

It said that against the sanctioned strength of 1,114 Judges in the High Courts across the country, 790 Judges are working and 324 posts of Judges are vacant. In the Supreme Court, 34 Judges are working and there is no vacancy as of now, the reply said.

Out of the 122 proposals, 87 proposals were sent to the Supreme Court Collegium (SCC) for advice against which the SCC has provided advice on 45 proposals which are at various stages of processing in the Government. 42 proposals are under consideration with the SCC. 35 fresh proposals received recently are being processed for seeking the advice of the SCC. Recommendations are yet to be received from High Court Collegiums in respect of the remaining 198 vacancies, the Ministry said.

"Proposals received from Supreme Court Collegium are sent back with the observations by the Government only in cases where some new information regarding the recommendee has been received in the interim or there are certain issues or facts, which require the reconsideration by the SCC. Cases are also sent back to the SCC with the requisite information, where the SCC has sought some additional information or raised a query. This is a continuous and collaborative process. The Government finally returns to the High Courts only those proposals, where the SCC has decided to remit the recommendations. Only those persons are appointed as Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts whose names have been recommended by the SCC,” the reply stated.