Lok Sabha Question No. 2685 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-01-03
Subject: Judge to Population Ratio
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE, SANJAY SHAMRAO DHOTRE, BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW & JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2685

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, THE 03 RD  JANUARY, 2018.

## Judge to Population Ratio

## 2685. SHRI RAHUL SHEWALE: SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE:

## SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB:

Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  the  judge  to  population  ratio  has  deteriorated  in  the country during each of the last three years and the current year;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether there is a huge gap between sanctioned and actual strength of judges in Supreme Court, High Courts and Subordinate Courts in the country;
- (d) if so, the details thereof, State/ UT-wise and the reasons therefor along with its impact on the functioning of the judiciary in the country; and
- (e)  the  number  of  judges  appointed  in  the  said  courts  during  the  last  three  years, State/UT-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LAW AND JUSTICE AND CORPORATE AFFAIRS (SHRI P. P. CHAUDHARY)

(a)  &  (b):  Based  on  the  population  as  per  Census  2011  and  as  per  available information regarding sanctioned strength of Judges in Supreme Court, High Courts and District & Subordinate Courts in the year 2017, the judge - population ratio in the country works out to be 19.66 Judges per million population in comparison to 17.48 Judges per million population in the year 2014.  The sanctioned strength of Judges of High Courts has increased from 906 judges in June 2014 to 1079 judges in December, 2017  and  the  sanctioned  strength  of  Judges  of  District  /  Subordinate  Courts  has increased from 20,214 in the year 2014 to 22,677 in the year 2017.  The sanctioned strength of Judges in Supreme Court is 31.

(c)  &  (d):  The  High  Court  -  wise  details  of  sanctioned  /  working  strength  and vacancies of Judges in the Supreme Court and High Courts are given in a Statement at Annexure - I .    The  State  /  UT-wise  details  of  sanctioned  /  working  strength  and vacancies of Judges in  District  and  Subordinate Courts are  given in  a  Statement at Annexure - II .

(e) : As per the Constitution, the selection and appointment of judges in subordinate courts is the responsibility of State Governments and the High Courts concerned.  As per information made available by the High Courts and respective State Governments,  sanctioned  strength  of  Judges  of  District  /  Subordinate  Courts  has increased  from  20,214  in  the  year  2014  to  22,677  in  the  year  2017.    The  working strength of Judges of District and Subordinate Courts is increased from 15,634 in the year 2014 to 16,693 in the  year 2017.  The State / UT-wise details of sanctioned / working  strength  of  Judges  of  District  /  Subordinate  Courts  in  the  years  2014  and 2017 are given in a Statement at Annexure-III.

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Annexure-I Statement referred to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.2685 for reply on 03.01.2018 Statement  showing  the  approved  strength,  working  strength  and vacancies of Judges in the Supreme Court and High Courts as on

26.12.2017.

| Sl. No.   | Name of the Court          | Approved Strength   | Working Strength   | Vacancies as per Approved Strength   |
|-----------|----------------------------|---------------------|--------------------|--------------------------------------|
| A.        | Supreme Court of India     | 31                  | 25                 | 06                                   |
| B.        | High Court                 |                     |                    |                                      |
| 1         | Allahabad                  | 160                 | 109                | 51                                   |
| 2         | Telangana & Andhra Pradesh | 61                  | 31                 | 30                                   |
| 3         | Bombay                     | 94                  | 70                 | 24                                   |
| 4         | Calcutta                   | 72                  | 33                 | 39                                   |
| 5         | Chhattisgarh               | 22                  | 12                 | 10                                   |
| 6         | Delhi                      | 60                  | 37                 | 23                                   |
| 7         | Gauhati                    | 24                  | 18                 | 06                                   |
| 8         | Gujarat                    | 52                  | 31                 | 21                                   |
| 9         | Himachal Pradesh           | 13                  | 08                 | 05                                   |
| 10        | Jammu & Kashmir            | 17                  | 11                 | 06                                   |
| 11        | Jharkhand                  | 25                  | 14                 | 11                                   |
| 12        | Karnataka                  | 62                  | 25                 | 37                                   |
| 13        | Kerala                     | 47                  | 37                 | 10                                   |
| 14        | Madhya Pradesh             | 53                  | 34                 | 19                                   |
| 15        | Madras                     | 75                  | 60                 | 15                                   |
| 16        | Manipur                    | 05                  | 02                 | 03                                   |
| 17        | Meghalaya                  | 04                  | 02                 | 02                                   |
| 18        | Orissa                     | 27                  | 17                 | 10                                   |
| 19        | Patna                      | 53                  | 33                 | 20                                   |
| 20        | Punjab& Haryana            | 85                  | 50                 | 35                                   |
| 21        | Rajasthan                  | 50                  | 35                 | 15                                   |
| 22        | Sikkim                     | 03                  | 03                 | 0                                    |
| 23        | Tripura                    | 04                  | 02                 | 02                                   |
| 24        | Uttarakhand                | 11                  | 10                 | 01                                   |
| Total     |                            | 1079                | 684                | 395                                  |

**********

Annexure - II Statement referred to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.2685 for reply on 03.01.2018 Sanctioned  Strength,  Working  Strength  and  Vacancies  of  Judicial

Officers of District and Subordinate Courts as on 30.11.2017.

| Sl. No   | States                         | Sanctioned Strength as on 30.11.2017   | Working Strength as on 30.11.2017   | Vacancies as on 30.11.2017   |
|----------|--------------------------------|----------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|------------------------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh & Telangana**   | 987                                    | 873                                 | 114                          |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh              | 28                                     | 17                                  | 11                           |
| 3        | Assam                          | 428                                    | 352                                 | 76                           |
| 4        | Bihar**                        | 1826                                   | 1001                                | 825                          |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh                   | 398                                    | 335                                 | 63                           |
| 6        | Goa                            | 55                                     | 43                                  | 12                           |
| 7        | Gujarat**                      | 1511                                   | 1126                                | 385                          |
| 8        | Haryana                        | 644                                    | 497                                 | 147                          |
| 9        | Himachal Pradesh**             | 159                                    | 149                                 | 10                           |
| 10       | Jammu & Kashmir                | 253                                    | 214                                 | 39                           |
| 11       | Jharkhand**                    | 672                                    | 421                                 | 251                          |
| 12       | Karnataka**                    | 1303                                   | 978                                 | 325                          |
| 13       | Kerala**                       | 534                                    | 461                                 | 73                           |
| 14       | Madhya Pradesh                 | 2021                                   | 1273                                | 748                          |
| 15       | Maharashtra                    | 2096                                   | 1947                                | 149                          |
| 16       | Manipur                        | 49                                     | 31                                  | 18                           |
| 17       | Meghalaya                      | 97                                     | 39                                  | 58                           |
| 18       | Mizoram                        | 63                                     | 30                                  | 33                           |
| 19       | Nagaland                       | 34                                     | 23                                  | 11                           |
| 20       | Orissa                         | 862                                    | 658                                 | 204                          |
| 21       | Punjab                         | 674                                    | 538                                 | 136                          |
| 22       | Rajasthan**                    | 1223                                   | 1127                                | 96                           |
| 23       | Sikkim**                       | 23                                     | 15                                  | 8                            |
| 24       | Tamil Nadu*                    | 1257                                   | 916                                 | 341                          |
| 25       | Tripura                        | 107                                    | 76                                  | 31                           |
| 26       | Uttar Pradesh                  | 3204                                   | 1860                                | 1344                         |
| 27       | Uttarakhand**                  | 291                                    | 230                                 | 61                           |
| 28       | West Bengal and A & N Island** | 1013                                   | 929                                 | 84                           |
| 29       | Chandigarh                     | 30                                     | 30                                  | 0                            |
| 30       | D & N Haveli AND Daman & Diu** | 7                                      | 7                                   | 0                            |
| 31       | Delhi**                        | 799                                    | 483                                 | 316                          |
| 32       | Lakshadweep**                  | 3                                      | 2                                   | 1                            |
| 33       | Pondicherry*                   | 26                                     | 12                                  | 14                           |
| Total    | Total                          | 22,677                                 | 16,693                              | 5,984                        |

* as on 7.11.2017 **as on 31.10.2017

Annexure-III Statement referred to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.2685 for reply

## on 03.01.2018

State-UT wise comparative Statement of Sanctioned / Working Strength of Judges in District and Subordinate Courts in the years 2014 and 2017.

| Sl. No   | States                       | Sanctioned Strength as on 31.12.2014   | Sanctioned Strength as on 30.11.2017   | Working Strength as on 31.12.2014   | Working Strength as on 30.11.2017   |
|----------|------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh & Telangana   | 1034                                   | 987**                                  | 884                                 | 873**                               |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh            | 16                                     | 28                                     | 15                                  | 17                                  |
| 3        | Assam                        | 403                                    | 428                                    | 312                                 | 352                                 |
| 4        | Bihar                        | 1670                                   | 1826**                                 | 1027                                | 1001**                              |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh                 | 354                                    | 398                                    | 302                                 | 335                                 |
| 6        | Goa                          | 52                                     | 55                                     | 40                                  | 43                                  |
| 7        | Gujarat                      | 1963                                   | 1511**                                 | 1216                                | 1126**                              |
| 8        | Haryana                      | 644                                    | 644                                    | 485                                 | 497                                 |
| 9        | Himachal Pradesh             | 146                                    | 159**                                  | 128                                 | 149**                               |
| 10       | Jammu & Kashmir              | 244                                    | 253                                    | 221                                 | 214                                 |
| 11       | Jharkhand                    | 578                                    | 672**                                  | 382                                 | 421**                               |
| 12       | Karnataka                    | 1085                                   | 1303**                                 | 832                                 | 978**                               |
| 13       | Kerala & Lakshadweep         | 447                                    | 537**                                  | 431                                 | 463**                               |
| 14       | Madhya Pradesh               | 1460                                   | 2021                                   | 1243                                | 1273                                |
| 15       | Maharashtra                  | 2072                                   | 2096                                   | 1784                                | 1947                                |
| 16       | Manipur                      | 40                                     | 49                                     | 30                                  | 31                                  |
| 17       | Meghalaya                    | 55                                     | 97                                     | 30                                  | 39                                  |
| 18       | Mizoram                      | 67                                     | 63                                     | 31                                  | 30                                  |
| 19       | Nagaland                     | 27                                     | 34                                     | 25                                  | 23                                  |
| 20       | Orissa                       | 690                                    | 862                                    | 569                                 | 658                                 |
| 21       | Punjab                       | 672                                    | 674                                    | 505                                 | 538                                 |
| 22       | Rajasthan                    | 1145                                   | 1223**                                 | 831                                 | 1127**                              |
| 23       | Sikkim                       | 18                                     | 23**                                   | 15                                  | 15**                                |
| 24       | Tamil Nadu                   | 997                                    | 1257*                                  | 876                                 | 916*                                |
| 25       | Tripura                      | 104                                    | 107                                    | 78                                  | 76                                  |
| 26       | Uttar Pradesh                | 2097                                   | 3204                                   | 1761                                | 1860                                |
| 27       | Uttarakhand                  | 289                                    | 291**                                  | 191                                 | 230**                               |
| 28       | West Bengal and A & N Island | 994                                    | 1013**                                 | 868                                 | 929**                               |
| 29       | Chandigarh                   | 30                                     | 30                                     | 30                                  | 30                                  |
| 30       | D & N Haveli AND Daman & Diu | 7                                      | 7**                                    | 6                                   | 7**                                 |
| 31       | Delhi                        | 793                                    | 799**                                  | 476                                 | 483**                               |
| 32       | Pondicherry                  | 21                                     | 26*                                    | 10                                  | 12*                                 |
| Total    | Total                        | 20,214                                 | 22,677                                 | 15,634                              | 16,693                              |

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