Lok Sabha Question No. 3637 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-08
Subject: Issues in Judiciary
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: PRASUN BANERJEE

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3637

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, THE 08.08.2018 Issues in Judiciary

3637. SHRI PRASUN BANERJEE:

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

- (a) whether four senior judges of the Supreme Court came together  to  flag  some  issues  in  January,  if  so,  the  details thereof and the steps that have been taken to address those issues; and
- (b)   the  number  of  vacancies  in  High  Courts  for  the  last  five
- years, court-wise?

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

(a):  The  Government  has  not  received  any  information  from  the Judiciary in this regard. However, issues relating to the Judiciary have been highlighted in the media with some related representations. Judiciary being an independent organ under the Indian Constitution is capable of handling its internal matters. The

Government is committed to the independence of Judiciary and does not intervene in its functioning. (b) : A Statement showing the number of vacant posts of Judges, High Courts wise for the last five years,  is annexed.

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Annexure

Statement referred to in reply to Part (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question    No.  3637  to  be  answered  on  08.08.2018  regarding 'Issues in Judiciary.

| Sl. No.   | Name of the High Courts    |   Vacancies as on 1 st January |   Vacancies as on 1 st January |   Vacancies as on 1 st January |   Vacancies as on 1 st January |   Vacancies as on 1 st January | Vacancies as on 01.08.2018   |
|-----------|----------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|------------------------------|
| Sl. No.   | Name of the High Courts    |                           2014 |                           2015 |                           2016 |                           2017 |                           2018 | Vacancies as on 01.08.2018   |
| 1         | Allahabad                  |                             79 |                             80 |                             86 |                             75 |                             52 | 70                           |
| 2         | Telangana & Andhra Pradesh |                             13 |                             19 |                             22 |                             38 |                             30 | 32                           |
| 3         | Bombay                     |                             19 |                             08 |                             35 |                             32 |                             24 | 25                           |
| 4         | Calcutta                   |                             11 |                             19 |                             16 |                             34 |                             39 | 35                           |
| 5         | Chhattisgarh               |                             07 |                             08 |                             13 |                             11 |                             10 | 06                           |
| 6         | Delhi                      |                             07 |                             19 |                             21 |                             22 |                             23 | 25                           |
| 7         | Gauhati                    |                             09 |                             12 |                             08 |                             07 |                             06 | 07                           |
| 8         | Gujarat                    |                             11 |                             12 |                             24 |                             21 |                             21 | 23                           |
| 9         | Himachal Pradesh           |                             04 |                             06 |                             06 |                             03 |                             05 | 05                           |
| 10        | Jammu & Kashmir            |                             04 |                             08 |                             07 |                             07 |                             06 | 09                           |
| 11        | Jharkhand                  |                             09 |                             11 |                             11 |                             12 |                             11 | 08                           |
| 12        | Karnataka                  |                             12 |                             27 |                             31 |                             32 |                             37 | 32                           |
| 13        | Kerala                     |                             06 |                             07 |                             03 |                             10 |                             10 | 12                           |
| 14        | Madhya Pradesh             |                             10 |                             19 |                             23 |                             14 |                             19 | 19                           |
| 15        | Madras                     |                             13 |                             17 |                             38 |                             18 |                             15 | 12                           |
| 16        | Manipur                    |                             02 |                             01 |                             02 |                             02 |                             03 | 02                           |
| 17        | Meghalaya                  |                              0 |                              0 |                             01 |                             01 |                             02 | 02                           |
| 18        | Orissa                     |                             05 |                             07 |                             05 |                             09 |                             10 | 13                           |
| 19        | Patna                      |                             11 |                             11 |                             25 |                             22 |                             20 | 23                           |
| 20        | Punjab& Haryana            |                             21 |                             29 |                             35 |                             38 |                             35 | 35                           |
| 21        | Rajasthan                  |                             11 |                             20 |                             25 |                             16 |                             16 | 20                           |
| 22        | Sikkim                     |                             01 |                             01 |                             01 |                             01 |                              0 | 01                           |
| 23        | Tripura                    |                              0 |                              0 |                              0 |                             01 |                             02 | 01                           |
| 24        | Uttarakhand                |                             02 |                             05 |                             05 |                             04 |                             02 | 03                           |
| Total     | Total                      |                            267 |                            346 |                            443 |                            430 |                            398 | 420                          |