Lok Sabha Question No. 658 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-20
Subject: Number of Judges
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Vijay Kumar

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 658

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, THE 20.11.2019

## Number of Judges

† 658.  SHRI VIJAY KUMAR:

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

- a) the  total  number  of  judges  in  High  Courts  at  present  country-wide along  with  category-wise  number  of  judges  belonging  to  scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and backward classes among them;
- b) the  number  of  judges  in  Supreme  Court  and  the  proportionate representation of the aforesaid categories among them;
- c)  the number of judges appointed from these categories as compared to the total number of judges appointed since independence till date; and
- d) whether the Government proposes to make any concrete initiative to ensure the proportionate representation of these categories in judiciary keeping in view the basic principle of social justice and if so, the details thereof?

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

## (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

(a)  to  (d):  Statement  showing  sanctioned  and  working  strength  in  the Supreme Court and High Courts is attached at Annexure .

Appointment  of  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  and  High  Courts  is made  under  Articles  124  and  217  &  224  of  the  Constitution  of  India respectively which do not provide for reservation for any caste or class of persons.  Hence  no  class/category  wise  data  is  maintained  centrally. However, the Government has been requesting 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 to ensure social diversity in appointment of Judges in High Courts.

***

## Annexure

Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (d) of Unstarred Question No. 658 to be answered in Lok Sabha on 20.11.2019 regarding 'Number of Judges' by Shri Vijay Kumar.

(As on 14.11.2019)

| Sl. No.   | Name of the Court      | Sanctioned Strength   | Working Strength   |
|-----------|------------------------|-----------------------|--------------------|
| A.        | Supreme Court of India | 34                    | 34                 |
| B.        | High Court             | High Court            | High Court         |
| 1         | Allahabad              | 160                   | 100                |
| 2         | Andhra Pradesh         | 37                    | 15                 |
| 3         | Bombay                 | 94                    | 65                 |
| 4         | Calcutta               | 72                    | 40                 |
| 5         | Chhattisgarh           | 22                    | 15                 |
| 6         | Delhi                  | 60                    | 37                 |
| 7         | Gauhati                | 24                    | 18                 |
| 8         | Gujarat                | 52                    | 28                 |
| 9         | Himachal Pradesh       | 13                    | 10                 |
| 10        | Jammu &Kashmir         | 17                    | 09                 |
| 11        | Jharkhand              | 25                    | 19                 |
| 12        | Karnataka              | 62                    | 39                 |
| 13        | Kerala                 | 47                    | 33                 |
| 14        | Madhya Pradesh         | 53                    | 31                 |
| 15        | Madras                 | 75                    | 54                 |
| 16        | Manipur                | 05                    | 04                 |
| 17        | Meghalaya              | 04                    | 03                 |
| 18        | Orissa                 | 27                    | 14                 |
| 19        | Patna                  | 53                    | 27                 |
| 20        | Punjab& Haryana        | 85                    | 49                 |
| 21        | Rajasthan              | 50                    | 22                 |
| 22        | Sikkim                 | 03                    | 03                 |
| 23        | Telangana              | 24                    | 13                 |
| 24        | Tripura                | 04                    | 03                 |
| 25        | Uttarakhand            | 11                    | 10                 |
| Total     |                        | 1079                  | 661                |