Lok Sabha Question No. 490 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-09
Subject: Women Judges
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Ritesh Pandey, Sanjay Jaiswal, Chinta Anuradha

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE

## DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 490

## TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 09.12.2022

## Women Judges

## 490.   SHRI RITESH PANDEY: DR. SANJAY JAISWAL: SHRIMATI CHINTA ANURADHA:

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

- (a) the total number of judges and women judges along with the percentage of women judges to the total judges in each high court, district courts and family courts, State and court-wise in India as of 2022;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  any  plan  to  increase/incentivize  women representation in the Indian Judiciary and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has any plans to bring 50 percentage reservations for women in the Judiciary to rid of the skewed gender ratio in the judiciary; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE

## (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

(a) to (d): As on 05.12.2022, 101 women Judges are working in various High Courts  of  the  country  against  the  sanctioned  strength  of  1108  judges.  A Statement showing the total number of judges, number of  women Judges and their  percentage  in  the  High  Courts  as  on  05.12.2022  is  at Annexure-I .  The working strength of women Judges in district &subordinate courts, State-wise as on 05.12.2022 is at Annexure-II.

Appointment of Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts is made under  Articles  124,  217  and  224  of  the  Constitution  of  India,  which  do  not provide  for  reservation  for  any  caste  or  class  of  persons.  However,  the Government has been requesting the Chief Justices of 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.

Under Article 235 of the Constitution of India, the administrative control over the members of district and subordinate judiciary in the States vest with the concerned High Court. Further, in exercise of powers conferred under proviso to Article 309 read with Articles 233 and 234 of the constitution, the respective State  Government, in consultation with the High Court, frames the Rules and Regulations  regarding  the  issue  of  appointment,  promotion,  reservations  and retirement of Judicial Officers in the State Judicial Service.  Hence, in so far as recruitment  of  judicial  officers  in  the  States  is  concerned,  respective  High Courts  do  it  in  certain  States,  while  in  other  states,  the  High  Courts  do  it  in consultation with the State Public Service Commissions. The Central Government has no role in appointment or reservation of Judicial Officers in the district and subordinate judiciary.

*****

## ANNEXURE-I

| Women Judges in High Courts (as on 05.12.2022)   | Women Judges in High Courts (as on 05.12.2022)   | Women Judges in High Courts (as on 05.12.2022)   | Women Judges in High Courts (as on 05.12.2022)   | Women Judges in High Courts (as on 05.12.2022)   |
|--------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|
| Name of the Court                                | Approved Judge Strength of High Court Judges     | Working strength of High Court Judges            | Women Judges                                     | %of Women Judges                                 |
| High Courts                                      |                                                  |                                                  |                                                  |                                                  |
| Allahabad                                        | 160                                              | 100                                              | 7                                                | 4                                                |
| Andhra Pradesh                                   | 37                                               | 30                                               | 2                                                | 5                                                |
| Bombay                                           | 94                                               | 66                                               | 9                                                | 10                                               |
| Calcutta                                         | 72                                               | 54                                               | 8                                                | 11                                               |
| Chhattisgarh                                     | 22                                               | 14                                               | 1                                                | 5                                                |
| Delhi                                            | 60                                               | 45                                               | 10                                               | 17                                               |
| Gauhati                                          | 24                                               | 24                                               | 4                                                | 17                                               |
| Gujarat                                          | 52                                               | 28                                               | 6                                                | 12                                               |
| Himachal Pradesh                                 | 17                                               | 10                                               | 2                                                | 12                                               |
| J&K and Ladakh                                   | 17                                               | 15                                               | 2                                                | 12                                               |
| Jharkhand                                        | 25                                               | 21                                               | 1                                                | 4                                                |
| Karnataka                                        | 62                                               | 49                                               | 5                                                | 8                                                |
| Kerala                                           | 47                                               | 37                                               | 6                                                | 13                                               |
| Madhya Pradesh                                   | 53                                               | 31                                               | 3                                                | 6                                                |
| Madras                                           | 75                                               | 54                                               | 9                                                | 12                                               |
| Manipur                                          | 5                                                | 3                                                | 0                                                | 0                                                |
| Meghalaya                                        | 4                                                | 3                                                | 0                                                | 0                                                |
| Orissa                                           | 33                                               | 22                                               | 1                                                | 3                                                |
| Patna                                            | 53                                               | 34                                               | 0                                                | 0                                                |
| Punjab &Haryana                                  | 85                                               | 66                                               | 13                                               | 15                                               |
| Rajasthan                                        | 50                                               | 26                                               | 2                                                | 4                                                |
| Sikkim                                           | 3                                                | 3                                                | 1                                                | 33                                               |
| Telangana                                        | 42                                               | 33                                               | 9                                                | 21                                               |
| Tripura                                          | 5                                                | 3                                                | 0                                                | 0                                                |
| Uttarakhand                                      | 11                                               | 7                                                | 0                                                | 0                                                |
| Total                                            | 1108                                             | 778                                              | 101                                              | 9                                                |

## ANNEXURE-II

| State-wise Working Strength of Women Judicial Officers   | State-wise Working Strength of Women Judicial Officers   | State-wise Working Strength of Women Judicial Officers   | State-wise Working Strength of Women Judicial Officers   | State-wise Working Strength of Women Judicial Officers   |
|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|
| S.no.                                                    | State/UT                                                 | Total Working Strength of Judicial Officers              | Working Strength of Women Judicial Officers              | %of total                                                |
| 1                                                        | Andaman and Nicobar                                      | 13                                                       | 0.00                                                     | 0.00%                                                    |
| 2                                                        | Andhra Pradesh                                           | 534                                                      | 261.00                                                   | 48.88%                                                   |
| 3                                                        | Arunachal Pradesh                                        | 33                                                       | 10.00                                                    | 30.30%                                                   |
| 4                                                        | Assam                                                    | 426                                                      | 200.00                                                   | 46.95%                                                   |
| 5                                                        | Bihar                                                    | 1351                                                     | 327.00                                                   | 24.20%                                                   |
| 6                                                        | Chandigarh                                               | 30                                                       | 11.00                                                    | 36.67%                                                   |
| 7                                                        | Chhattisgarh                                             | 436                                                      | 180.00                                                   | 41.28%                                                   |
| 8                                                        | D &NHaveli                                               | 2                                                        | 0.00                                                     | 0.00%                                                    |
| 9                                                        | Daman &Diu                                               | 4                                                        | 0.00                                                     | 0.00%                                                    |
| 10                                                       | Delhi                                                    | 682                                                      | 279.00                                                   | 40.91%                                                   |
| 11                                                       | Goa                                                      | 40                                                       | 28.00                                                    | 70.00%                                                   |
| 12                                                       | Gujarat                                                  | 1154                                                     | 228.00                                                   | 19.76%                                                   |
| 13                                                       | Haryana                                                  | 465                                                      | 178.00                                                   | 38.28%                                                   |
| 14                                                       | Himachal Pradesh                                         | 165                                                      | 55.00                                                    | 33.33%                                                   |
| 15                                                       | Jammu and Kashmir                                        | 223                                                      | 71.00                                                    | 31.84%                                                   |
| 16                                                       | Jharkhand                                                | 508                                                      | 133.00                                                   | 26.18%                                                   |
| 17                                                       | Karnataka                                                | 1132                                                     | 403.00                                                   | 35.60%                                                   |
| 18                                                       | Kerala                                                   | 469                                                      | 205.00                                                   | 43.71%                                                   |
| 19                                                       | Ladakh                                                   | 9                                                        | 3.00                                                     | 33.33%                                                   |
| 20                                                       | Lakshadweep                                              | 3                                                        | 0.00                                                     | 0.00%                                                    |
| 21                                                       | Madhya Pradesh                                           | 1527                                                     | 533.00                                                   | 34.91%                                                   |
| 22                                                       | Maharashtra                                              | 1940                                                     | 597.00                                                   | 30.77%                                                   |
| 23                                                       | Manipur                                                  | 42                                                       | 19.00                                                    | 45.24%                                                   |
| 24                                                       | Meghalaya                                                | 51                                                       | 32.00                                                    | 62.75%                                                   |
| 25                                                       | Mizoram                                                  | 41                                                       | 21.00                                                    | 51.22%                                                   |
| 26                                                       | Nagaland                                                 | 24                                                       | 15.00                                                    | 62.50%                                                   |
| 27                                                       | Odisha                                                   | 768                                                      | 341.00                                                   | 44.40%                                                   |
| 28                                                       | Puducherry                                               | 11                                                       | 5.00                                                     | 45.45%                                                   |
| 29                                                       | Punjab                                                   | 589                                                      | 270.00                                                   | 45.84%                                                   |
| 30                                                       | Rajasthan                                                | 1256                                                     | 504.00                                                   | 40.13%                                                   |
| 31                                                       | Sikkim                                                   | 21                                                       | 12.00                                                    | 57.14%                                                   |
| 32                                                       | Tamil Nadu                                               | 1068                                                     | 426.00                                                   | 39.89%                                                   |
| 33                                                       | Telangana                                                | 410                                                      | 216.00                                                   | 52.68%                                                   |
| 34                                                       | Tripura                                                  | 109                                                      | 38.00                                                    | 34.86%                                                   |
| 35                                                       | Uttar Pradesh                                            | 2481                                                     | 792.00                                                   | 31.92%                                                   |
| 36                                                       | Uttarakhand                                              | 270                                                      | 106.00                                                   | 39.26%                                                   |
| 37                                                       | West Bengal                                              | 918                                                      | 330.00                                                   | 35.95%                                                   |
|                                                          | TOTAL                                                    | 19205                                                    | 6829.00                                                  | 35.56%                                                   |