Lok Sabha Question No. 4551 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-14
Subject: Women/SC/ST/Minority Judges
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: RAMACHANDRAN MULLAPPALLY, KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL, RAVINDRA BABU  PANDULA, SIRAJUDDIN AJMAL

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4551

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, THE 14.12.2016

## Women/SC/ST/Minority Judges

## 4551. SHRI MULLAPPALLY RAMACHANDRAN:

SHRI KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL:

DR. RAVINDRA BABU:

SHRI SIRAJUDDIN AJMAL:

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

- (a) the number of male and female Judges in Supreme Court and High Courts at present along with the number out of them belonging to scheduled castes/scheduled tribes/minority, Statewise;
- (b) whether the Government is aware that there is negligible percentage of women judicial officers in High Court and Supreme Court benches;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (d) whether the Government is aware that as per National Commission for Scheduled Castes report of 2011, there are only a few judges from SC/ST community in High Courts as against the total  number of judges and many of the High Courts did not have a single judge from these communities;
- (e) if so, the details thereof and the response of the Government thereto; and
- (f) the concrete steps being taken by the Government to improve this disparity and increase the  participation of women and SC/ST/minority communities in the judiciary?

## ANSWER

## Minister of State for Law and Justice and Electronics and Information Technology. (SHRI P.P. CHAUDHARY)

(a)  to  (f)  :  Appointment  of  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  and  High  Courts  is  made  under Articles 124 and 217 of the Constitution of India respectively. These Articles do not provide for  reservation  for  any  caste  or  class  of  persons.  Therefore,  no  caste  or  class-wise  data  of Judges is maintained. However, the Government has requested the Chief Justices of the High Courts that while sending proposals for appointment of Judges, due consideration be given to suitable  candidates  belonging  to  Scheduled  Castes,  Scheduled  Tribes,  Other  Backward Classes, Minorities and women.

A Statement showing the number of women Judges working in Supreme Court and the High Courts as on 09.12.2016 is annexed .

The  National  Commission  for  Scheduled  Castes  in  its  report  of  2011inter-alia recommended the constitution of a National Judicial Commission for making appointment to the Superior Courts. In this regard, the Government  enacted the Constitution (Ninety-Ninth Amendment)Act, 2014 and the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, 2014 w.e.f 13.4.2015.  The  Supreme  Court  vide  Judgment  dated  16.10.2015  has  struck  down  both  the Acts as unconstitutional and void.

* * *

Statement  referred  in  reply  to  parts  (a)  to  (f)  of  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Question No.4551  for  answer  on  14.12.2016  showing  the  Approved  strength,  Working Strength of Judges in the Supreme Court and the High Courts and number of women Judges

(Position As on 09.12.2016)

| Sl. No.   | Name of the Court                     | Approved Strength   | Working strength   | No. of women Judges   |
|-----------|---------------------------------------|---------------------|--------------------|-----------------------|
| A         | Supreme Court of India                | 31                  | 24                 | 01                    |
| B         | High Court                            |                     |                    |                       |
| 1         | Allahabad                             | 160                 | 85                 | 07                    |
| 2         | High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad | 61                  | 23                 | 01                    |
| 3         | Bombay                                | 94                  | 62                 | 12                    |
| 4         | Calcutta                              | 72                  | 38                 | 3                     |
| 5         | Chhattisgarh                          | 22                  | 11                 | -                     |
| 6         | Delhi                                 | 60                  | 39                 | 11                    |
| 7         | Gauhati                               | 24                  | 17                 | 1                     |
| 8         | Gujarat                               | 52                  | 31                 | 4                     |
| 9         | Himachal Pradesh                      | 13                  | 10                 | -                     |
| 10        | Jammu &Kashmir                        | 17                  | 10                 | -                     |
| 11        | Jharkhand                             | 25                  | 13                 | -                     |
| 12        | Karnataka                             | 62                  | 30                 | 4                     |
| 13        | Kerala                                | 47                  | 38                 | 4                     |
| 14        | Madhya Pradesh                        | 53                  | 39                 | 3                     |
| 15        | Madras                                | 75                  | 57                 | 6                     |
| 16        | Manipur                               | 05                  | 03                 | -                     |
| 17        | Meghalaya                             | 04                  | 03                 | -                     |
| 18        | Orissa                                | 27                  | 18                 | 1                     |
| 19        | Patna                                 | 53                  | 32                 | 2                     |
| 20        | Punjab& Haryana                       | 85                  | 47                 | 7                     |
| 21        | Rajasthan                             | 50                  | 34                 | 2                     |
| 22        | Sikkim                                | 03                  | 02                 | 1                     |
| 23        | Tripura                               | 04                  | 03                 | -                     |
| 24        | Uttarakhand                           | 11                  | 07                 | -                     |
| Total     | Total                                 | 1079                | 652                | 69                    |