Lok Sabha Question No. 6111 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-04
Subject: Appointment of Judges
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: NANDI YELLAIAH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6111

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, THE 04.04.2018

## Appointment of Judges

6111. SHRI NANDI YELLAIAH:

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

- (a)  the total number of judges functioning in Supreme Court, High Courts and  District  Courts  of  the  country,  district  and  State/UT-wise  as  on date;
- (b)  the  number  of  Supreme  Court  judges,  High  Court  judges  and district court judges required to be appointed, State/UT-wise as on date; and
- (c)   whether    the   Government  would  take  immediate  steps to fill up all vacancies for   speedy    delivery  of  justice  from  the    highest      to  the lowest  level  in  judiciary  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the
- reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF  LAW & JUSTICE AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## (SHRI  RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

- (a)  to  (c):  A  Statement  showing  the  Sanctioned  Strength,  Working Strength and Vacancies in the Supreme Court and the High Courts as on 28.03.2018  is at Annexure -I .

A  Statement showing the  Sanctioned Strength, Working Strength and Vacancies of Judges in Subordinate Courts as on 31.12.2017 is at Annexure-II.

Filling up of vacancies of Judges of Supreme Court and High Courts is  a  continuous,  collaborative  and  integrated  process  involving  both  the Executive and the Judiciary. While every effort is made to fill up existing vacancies expeditiously, vacancies do keep arising on account of retirement,  resignation  or  elevation  of  Judges  and  increase  in  Judge Strength from 906 in 30.06.2014 to 1079 as on today.

Judges  appointed  in Supreme Court and High Courts  during  last 3 years are given below:-

| Years                   | Supreme Court   |   High Courts |
|-------------------------|-----------------|---------------|
| 2016                    | 4               |           126 |
| 2017                    | 5               |           115 |
| 2018 ( upto 28.03.2018) | -               |            11 |

As per the Constitutional framework, the selection and appointment of judges in subordinate courts is the responsibility of the High Courts and State Governments concerned.  In so far as recruitment of judicial officers in the States is concerned, respective High Courts do it in certain States, whereas  the  High  Courts  do  it  in  consultation  with  the  State  Public Service Commissions in other States.

## Annexure-I

## Statement referred to in reply to Parts (a) to (c) of  Lok Sabha Unstarred Question  No. 6111 to be answered on 04.04.2018

(As on 28.03.2018)

| Sl.No.   | Name of the Court          | Sanctioned Strength   | Working Strength   | Vacancies as per Sanctioned Strength   |
|----------|----------------------------|-----------------------|--------------------|----------------------------------------|
| A        | Supreme Court of India     | 31                    | 24                 | 07                                     |
| B        | High Court                 |                       |                    |                                        |
| 1        | Allahabad                  | 160                   | 101                | 59                                     |
| 2        | Telangana & Andhra Pradesh | 61                    | 30                 | 31                                     |
| 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                    | 30                 | 22                                     |
| 9        | Himachal Pradesh           | 13                    | 08                 | 05                                     |
| 10       | Jammu & Kashmir            | 17                    | 10                 | 07                                     |
| 11       | Jharkhand                  | 25                    | 17                 | 08                                     |
| 12       | Karnataka                  | 62                    | 30                 | 32                                     |
| 13       | Kerala                     | 47                    | 37                 | 10                                     |
| 14       | Madhya Pradesh             | 53                    | 32                 | 21                                     |
| 15       | Madras                     | 75                    | 58                 | 17                                     |
| 16       | Manipur                    | 05                    | 02                 | 03                                     |
| 17       | Meghalaya                  | 04                    | 01                 | 03                                     |
| 18       | Orissa                     | 27                    | 16                 | 11                                     |
| 19       | Patna                      | 53                    | 32                 | 21                                     |
| 20       | Punjab& Haryana            | 85                    | 50                 | 35                                     |
| 21       | Rajasthan                  | 50                    | 33                 | 17                                     |
| 22       | Sikkim                     | 03                    | 03                 | 0                                      |
| 23       | Tripura                    | 04                    | 02                 | 02                                     |
| 24       | Uttarakhand                | 11                    | 08                 | 03                                     |
| Total    | Total                      | 1079                  | 670                | 409                                    |

## Statement referred to in reply to Parts (a ) to (c) of  Lok Sabha Unstarred Question  No. 6111 to be answered on 04.04.2018

(As  on 31.12.2017)

| Sl. No   | Name of States/UTs           |   Sanctioned Strength as on 31.12.2017 |   Working Strength as on 31.12.2017 |   Vacancies as on 31.12.2017 |
|----------|------------------------------|----------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|------------------------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh &Telangana    |                                    986 |                                 920 |                           66 |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh            |                                     28 |                                  17 |                           11 |
| 3        | Assam                        |                                    429 |                                 352 |                           77 |
| 4        | Bihar                        |                                   1828 |                                 993 |                          835 |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh                 |                                    398 |                                 335 |                           63 |
| 6        | Goa                          |                                     55 |                                  43 |                           12 |
| 7        | Gujarat                      |                                   1496 |                                1121 |                          375 |
| 8        | Haryana                      |                                    645 |                                 496 |                          149 |
| 9        | Himachal Pradesh             |                                    159 |                                 148 |                           11 |
| 10       | Jammu & Kashmir              |                                    253 |                                 224 |                           29 |
| 11       | Jharkhand                    |                                    672 |                                 419 |                          253 |
| 12       | Karnataka                    |                                   1303 |                                 976 |                          327 |
| 13       | Kerala                       |                                    535 |                                 450 |                           85 |
| 14       | Madhya Pradesh               |                                   2021 |                                1293 |                          728 |
| 15       | Maharashtra                  |                                   2097 |                                1930 |                          167 |
| 16       | Manipur                      |                                     49 |                                  40 |                           09 |
| 17       | Meghalaya                    |                                     97 |                                  39 |                           58 |
| 18       | Mizoram                      |                                     63 |                                  46 |                           17 |
| 19       | Nagaland                     |                                     34 |                                  22 |                           12 |
| 20       | Odisha                       |                                    862 |                                 656 |                          206 |
| 21       | Punjab                       |                                    674 |                                 538 |                          136 |
| 22       | Rajasthan                    |                                   1225 |                                1122 |                          103 |
| 23       | Sikkim                       |                                     23 |                                  18 |                            5 |
| 24       | Tamil Nadu                   |                                   1108 |                                 908 |                          200 |
| 25       | Tripura                      |                                    107 |                                  76 |                           31 |
| 26       | Uttar Pradesh                |                                   3204 |                                1856 |                         1348 |
| 27       | Uttarakhand                  |                                    291 |                                 230 |                           61 |
| 28       | West Bengal                  |                                    956 |                                 916 |                           40 |
| 29       | A & N Island                 |                                     11 |                                  11 |                            0 |
| 30       | Chandigarh                   |                                     30 |                                  30 |                            0 |
| 31       | D & N Haveli and Daman & Diu |                                      7 |                                   7 |                            0 |
| 32       | Delhi                        |                                    799 |                                 482 |                          317 |
| 33       | Lakshadweep                  |                                      3 |                                   2 |                            1 |
| 34       | Puducherry                   |                                     26 |                                  12 |                           14 |
| Total    | Total                        |                                  22474 |                               16728 |                         5746 |

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