Lok Sabha Question No. 377 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-03
Subject: Sanctioned Strength of Judges
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Badruddin Ajmal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 377

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, THE 03.02.2021

## Sanctioned Strength of Judges

377.  SHRI M. BADRUDDIN AJMAL:

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

- a)  the  present  sanctioned  strength  of  Judges  in  the  Supreme  Court and various High Courts in the country, Court-wise;
- b)  the number of male and female Judges in Supreme Court and High Courts at present;
- c)  the  number  of  judges  belonging  to  Scheduled  Castes/Scheduled Tribes/Minority in Supreme Court and High Courts of the country at present, court-wise;
- d)  the  total  number  of  Judges  appointed  in  the  Supreme  Court  and High Courts in the country during each of the last five years and the current year, Courtwise; and
- e)  the total number of vacant posts of Judges in the Supreme Court and the High Courts?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE, COMMUNICATIONS AND

## ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

- (a), (b) and (e): Statement showing sanctioned strength of Judges, number of  male  & female Judges and vacancies in the Supreme Court and High Courts is attached at Annexure .

(c) and (d): 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.

Number  of  Judges  appointed  in  Supreme  Court  and  High  Courts during last 5 years (calendar year-wise) as on 25.01.2021 is given below:

|                                                 |   2016 |   2017 |   2018 |   2019 | 2020   |
|-------------------------------------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| Judges appointed in the Supreme Court           |     04 |     05 |     08 |     10 | --     |
| Judges appointed in the High Courts             |    126 |    115 |    108 |     81 | 66     |
| Additional Judges made Permanent in High Courts |    131 |     31 |    115 |     68 | 90     |
| Additional Judges given fresh term              |     22 |     05 |     02 |     07 | 03     |

***

Statement referred to in reply to parts (a), (b) and (e) of Unstarred Question No. 377 to be answered in Lok Sabha on 03.02.2021 regarding 'Sanctioned Strength of Judges' by Shri M. Badruddin Ajmal, showing sanctioned strength, no. of male & female judges and vacancies of Judges in Supreme Court and the High Courts.

(As on 27.01.2021)

|         |                                                                                            |                     | Working Strength   | Working Strength     | Vacancies   |
|---------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------|--------------------|----------------------|-------------|
| Sl. No. | Name of the Court                                                                          | Sanctioned Strength | No. of Male Judges | No. of female Judges |             |
| A.      | Supreme Court of India                                                                     | 34                  | 28                 | 2                    | 04          |
| B.      | High Court                                                                                 | High Court          | High Court         | High Court           | High Court  |
| 1       | Allahabad                                                                                  | 160                 | 90                 | 6                    | 64          |
| 2       | Andhra Pradesh                                                                             | 37                  | 16                 | 3                    | 18          |
| 3       | Bombay                                                                                     | 94                  | 56                 | 8                    | 30          |
| 4       | Calcutta                                                                                   | 72                  | 29                 | 4                    | 39          |
| 5       | Chhattisgarh                                                                               | 22                  | 12                 | 2                    | 08          |
| 6       | Delhi                                                                                      | 60                  | 23                 | 6                    | 31          |
| 7       | Gauhati                                                                                    | 24                  | 20                 | 1                    | 03          |
| 8       | Gujarat                                                                                    | 52                  | 25                 | 5                    | 22          |
| 9       | Himachal Pradesh                                                                           | 13                  | 09                 | 1                    | 03          |
| 10      | Common High Court for the Union Territory of Jammu &Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh. | 17                  | 10                 | 1                    | 06          |
| 11      | Jharkhand                                                                                  | 25                  | 16                 | 1                    | 08          |
| 12      | Karnataka                                                                                  | 62                  | 41                 | 5                    | 16          |
| 13      | Kerala                                                                                     | 47                  | 32                 | 5                    | 10          |
| 14      | Madhya Pradesh                                                                             | 53                  | 25                 | 2                    | 26          |
| 15      | Madras                                                                                     | 75                  | 49                 | 13                   | 13          |
| 16      | Manipur                                                                                    | 05                  | 05                 | -                    | -           |
| 17      | Meghalaya                                                                                  | 04                  | 04                 | -                    | -           |
| 18      | Orissa                                                                                     | 27                  | 13                 | 2                    | 12          |
| 19      | Patna                                                                                      | 53                  | 22                 | -                    | 31          |
| 20      | Punjab& Haryana                                                                            | 85                  | 41                 | 8                    | 36          |
| 21      | Rajasthan                                                                                  | 50                  | 22                 | 1                    | 27          |
| 22      | Sikkim                                                                                     | 03                  | 02                 | 1                    | -           |
| 23      | Telangana                                                                                  | 24                  | 12                 | 2                    | 10          |
| 24      | Tripura                                                                                    | 05                  | 04                 | -                    | 01          |
| 25      | Uttarakhand                                                                                | 11                  | 08                 | -                    | 03          |
| Total   |                                                                                            | 1080                | 586                | 77                   | 417         |