Lok Sabha Question No. 3417 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-08
Subject: Appointment of Judges in Courts
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Shri Brijendra Singh Ola

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3417 TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 08 th  AUGUST, 2025

## Appointment of Judges in Courts

## †3417. SHRI BRIJENDRA SINGH OLA:

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

- (a) the details of Judges in High Court, Subordinate Courts, District Courts belonging to  General  category,  Other  Backward  Classes,  Scheduled  Castes  and  Scheduled Tribe Categories, State-wise and Category-wise;
- (b) the details of the appointment of Judicial Officers from General Category, OBC, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribe Category during the last ten years, Statewise, Category-wise and Year-wise;
- (c) whether rules/guidelines are being followed to ensure the representation of all the categories in the appointment of judges in the High Court; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS

## (SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)

(a) to (d): Appointment of Judges to High Courts is made under Articles 217 and 224 of the  Constitution  of  India,  which  do  not  provide  for  reservation  for  any  caste  or  class  of persons. Therefore, category-wise data pertaining to representation of any caste or class of

persons  among  the  Judges  of  the  High  Courts  is  not  centrally  available.  Since  2018,  the recommendees for the post of High Court Judges are required to provide details regarding their social background in the prescribed format (prepared in consultation with the Supreme Court). As per the information provided by the recommendees, out of 753 Judges appointed from 2018 till 28.07.2025, 24 belong to SC category, 17 belong to ST category, 93 belong to OBC category and 42 belong to the minority category.

As  per  the  Memorandum  of  Procedure  (MoP),  the  responsibility  for  initiation  of proposals for appointment of Judges in the High Courts vests with the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court. However, the Government is committed to enhancing social diversity in  judiciary  and  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 the appointment of Judges in High Courts. Only those persons who are recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium, are appointed as Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts.

As  far  as  appointment  of  judicial  officers  in  District  and  Subordinate  Courts  is concerned, under Article 235 of the Constitution of India, the administrative control over the members of district  and  subordinate  judiciary  in  the  States  vests  with  the  concerned  High Court. In exercise of powers conferred under proviso to Article 309 read with Articles 233 and 234 of the Constitution, the respective State Governments, in consultation with the High Court,  frame  the  Rules  and  Regulations  regarding  the  issue  of  appointment,  promotion, reservations and retirement of Judicial Officers in the State Judicial Service.

The details of the appointments of Judicial Officers are not centrally maintained. As per  information  available  on  the  MIS  (Management  Information  System)  portal  of  the Department of Justice, the working strength of Judicial Officers from various categories in District Courts as on 04.08.2025 is at Annexure .

****

## ANNEXURE

Working  strength  of  SC/ST/OBC/Other  Judicial  Officers  in  District  and  Subordinate Courts as on 04.08.2025

| Sl. No.   | States &UTs                 | Civil Judge(Junior   | Civil Judge(Junior   | Civil Judge(Junior   | Civil Judge(Junior   | Division) Civil Judge(Senior   | Division) Civil Judge(Senior   | Division) Civil Judge(Senior   | Division) Civil Judge(Senior   | Division) District   | Division) District   | Division) District   | Division) District   |
|-----------|-----------------------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
| Sl. No.   | States &UTs                 | SC                   | ST                   | OBC                  | OTHERS               | SC                             | ST                             | OBC                            | OTHERS                         | SC                   | ST                   | OBC                  | OTHERS               |
| 1         | Andaman and Nicobar         | 0                    | 0                    | 0                    | 4                    | 0                              | 0                              | 0                              | 3                              | 0                    | 0                    | 0                    | 5                    |
| 2         | Andhra Pradesh              | 52                   | 19                   | 122                  | 83                   | 19                             | 10                             | 46                             | 63                             | 36                   | 5                    | 58                   | 61                   |
| 3         | Arunachal Pradesh           | 0                    | 13                   | 0                    | 0                    | 0                              | 15                             | 0                              | 0                              | 0                    | 10                   | 1                    | 0                    |
| 4         | Assam                       | 16                   | 23                   | 0                    | 166                  | 12                             | 21                             | 0                              | 106                            | 6                    | 7                    | 0                    | 104                  |
| 5         | Bihar                       | 134                  | 5                    | 301                  | 296                  | 66                             | 5                              | 105                            | 139                            | 53                   | 4                    | 75                   | 496                  |
| 6         | Chandigarh                  | 9                    | 0                    | 2                    | 7                    | 0                              | 0                              | 1                              | 1                              | 1                    | 0                    | 1                    | 8                    |
| 7         | Chhattisgarh                | 26                   | 57                   | 27                   | 54                   | 17                             | 45                             | 26                             | 44                             | 30                   | 26                   | 37                   | 76                   |
| 8         | D&NHaveli and daman and Diu | 0                    | 0                    | 1                    | 1                    | 0                              | 0                              | 1                              | 2                              | 0                    | 0                    | 1                    | 0                    |
| 9         | Delhi                       | 35                   | 20                   | 0                    | 224                  | 22                             | 2                              | 0                              | 97                             | 10                   | 1                    | 0                    | 377                  |
| 10        | Goa                         | 0                    | 2                    | 0                    | 17                   | 0                              | 0                              | 1                              | 11                             | 0                    | 0                    | 1                    | 8                    |
| 11        | Gujarat                     | 59                   | 1                    | 34                   | 347                  | 50                             | 4                              | 151                            | 277                            | 8                    | 0                    | 33                   | 221                  |
| 12        | Haryana                     | 42                   | 0                    | 57                   | 206                  | 41                             | 0                              | 18                             | 73                             | 21                   | 0                    | 21                   | 182                  |
| 13        | Himachal Pradesh            | 8                    | 2                    | 6                    | 47                   | 8                              | 4                              | 6                              | 30                             | 6                    | 1                    | 1                    | 41                   |
| 14        | Jammu and Kashmir           | 13                   | 11                   | 3                    | 83                   | 6                              | 7                              | 1                              | 66                             | 9                    | 5                    | 2                    | 66                   |
| 15        | Jharkhand                   | 15                   | 31                   | 16                   | 80                   | 0                              | 0                              | 0                              | 154                            | 0                    | 0                    | 0                    | 205                  |
| 16        | Karnataka                   | 77                   | 19                   | 273                  | 26                   | 90                             | 20                             | 262                            | 34                             | 67                   | 9                    | 207                  | 83                   |
| 17        | Kerala                      | 22                   | 3                    | 121                  | 119                  | 11                             | 1                              | 48                             | 33                             | 10                   | 1                    | 125                  | 85                   |
| 18        | Ladakh                      | 1                    | 2                    | 0                    | 1                    | 0                              | 4                              | 0                              | 0                              | 0                    | 1                    | 1                    | 0                    |
| 19        | Lakshadweep                 | 1                    | 0                    | 0                    | 0                    | 0                              | 1                              | 1                              | 0                              | 0                    | 0                    | 1                    | 0                    |
| 20        | Madhya Pradesh              | 101                  | 29                   | 114                  | 218                  | 81                             | 114                            | 81                             | 232                            | 84                   | 91                   | 114                  | 410                  |
| 21        | Maharashtra                 | 140                  | 2                    | 266                  | 512                  | 43                             | 3                              | 128                            | 336                            | 44                   | 2                    | 106                  | 358                  |
| 22        | Manipur                     | 0                    | 6                    | 3                    | 9                    | 0                              | 4                              | 2                              | 7                              | 0                    | 4                    | 0                    | 14                   |
| 23        | Meghalaya                   | 0                    | 15                   | 0                    | 0                    | 0                              | 21                             | 0                              | 0                              | 0                    | 18                   | 0                    | 3                    |
| 24        | Mizoram                     | 0                    | 13                   | 0                    | 0                    | 0                              | 17                             | 0                              | 0                              | 0                    | 15                   | 0                    | 0                    |
| 25        | Nagaland                    | 0                    | 0                    | 0                    | 7                    | 0                              | 0                              | 0                              | 5                              | 0                    | 0                    | 0                    | 12                   |
| 26        | Odisha                      | 30                   | 4                    | 68                   | 247                  | 0                              | 0                              | 5                              | 264                            | 0                    | 0                    | 0                    | 217                  |
| 27        | Puducherry                  | 3                    | 0                    | 12                   | 0                    | 0                              | 0                              | 4                              | 1                              | 0                    | 0                    | 4                    | 2                    |
| 28        | Punjab                      | 100                  | 0                    | 53                   | 212                  | 50                             | 0                              | 25                             | 63                             | 37                   | 0                    | 22                   | 154                  |
| 29        | Rajasthan                   | 99                   | 69                   | 129                  | 277                  | 60                             | 52                             | 87                             | 181                            | 58                   | 24                   | 92                   | 378                  |
| 30        | Sikkim                      | 0                    | 1                    | 3                    | 0                    | 0                              | 2                              | 3                              | 0                              | 0                    | 5                    | 9                    | 0                    |
| 31        | Tamil Nadu                  | 140                  | 9                    | 443                  | 7                    | 72                             | 5                              | 259                            | 5                              | 42                   | 1                    | 239                  | 18                   |
| 32        | Telangana                   | 38                   | 20                   | 96                   | 64                   | 15                             | 7                              | 48                             | 22                             | 15                   | 13                   | 55                   | 52                   |
| 33        | Tripura                     | 4                    | 4                    | 0                    | 22                   | 5                              | 10                             | 0                              | 24                             | 5                    | 6                    | 0                    | 26                   |
| 34        | Uttar Pradesh               | 214                  | 17                   | 309                  | 354                  | 134                            | 15                             | 189                            | 238                            | 191                  | 7                    | 360                  | 647                  |
| 35        | Uttarakhand                 | 16                   | 3                    | 13                   | 59                   | 12                             | 4                              | 15                             | 52                             | 18                   | 5                    | 9                    | 64                   |
| 36        | West Bengal                 | 0                    |                      |                      |                      | 0                              | 0                              | 0                              | 243                            | 0                    | 0                    | 0                    | 270                  |
|           | TOTAL                       | 1,395                | 0 400                | 0 2,472              | 350 4,099            | 814                            | 393                            | 1,513                          | 2,806                          | 751                  | 261                  | 1,575                | 4,643                |

Source: MIS Portal of Department of Justice.