Lok Sabha Question No. 809 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-26
Subject: Appointment of judges in judiciary
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Smt. Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, Shri Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure, Dr. Rani Srikumar

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 809

## TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 26.07.2024 APPOINTMENT OF JUDGES IN JUDICIARY

## 809. SMT. KANIMOZHI KARUNANIDHI

## SHRI BHAUSAHEB RAJARAM WAKCHAURE: DR. RANI SRIKUMAR:

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

- (a) the details of the Chief Justice and Judges in the Supreme Court (SC) and the Chief Justices and Judges in High Courts (HCs) in the country,
- State/UT-wise as on date;
- (b) the number of Chief Justices/Judges belonging to Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe category in the said courts;
- (c) the steps being taken by the Government to maintain adequate number of  SC/ST  Judges  in  the  Supreme  Court  and  other  High  Courts  of  the country during the last three years and the current year; and
- (d) the  extent  to  which  the  Government  has  been  successful  in  the  said
- endeavour?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)

- (a) to (d): The details of Chief Justice of India and Chief Justices of High Courts are at Annexure-I and those of Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts are at Annexure-II .

Appointment of Judges to 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. Therefore, categorywise data pertaining to representation of OBCs, SCs, STs and Minorities among the Judges of High Courts are not centrally maintained.

However,  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).  Hence, since 2018 the data on appointees to that extent is available. Out of 661 High Court Judges appointed since 2018, 21 belong to SC category, 12 belong to ST category, 78 belong to OBC category and 499 belong to General category (till 22.07.2024).

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 the appointment of Judges in High Courts.

****

## DETAILS OF CHIEF JUSTICE OF INDIA AND CHIEF JUSTICES OF THE HIGH COURTS (As on 22.07.2024)

|   SL. NO. | NAMEOFTHECOURT                         | NAMEOFTHECHIEF JUSTICE (S/SHRI JUSTICE)   |
|-----------|----------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
|         1 | SUPREME COURT (CHIEF JUSTICE OF INDIA) | DR. D.Y. CHANDRACHUD                      |
|         2 | ALLAHABAD                              | ARUN BHANSALI                             |
|         3 | ANDHRA PRADESH                         | DHIRAJ SINGH THAKUR                       |
|         4 | BOMBAY                                 | DEVENDRA KUMAR UPADHYAYA                  |
|         5 | CALCUTTA                               | T.S. SIVAGNANAM                           |
|         6 | CHHATTISGARH                           | RAMESH SINHA                              |
|         7 | DELHI*                                 | MANMOHAN                                  |
|         8 | GAUHATI                                | VIJAY BISHNOI                             |
|         9 | GUJARAT                                | SMT. SUNITA AGARWAL                       |
|        10 | HIMACHAL PRADESH                       | M.S.SRI RAMACHANDRA RAO                   |
|        11 | J&K AND LADAKH*                        | TASHI RABSTAN                             |
|        12 | JHARKHAND*                             | SUJIT NARAYAN PRASAD                      |
|        13 | KARNATAKA                              | NILAY VIPINCHANDRA ANJARIA                |
|        14 | KERALA*                                | MUHAMED MUSTAQUE AYUMANTAKATH             |
|        15 | MADHYA PRADESH*                        | SANJEEV SACHDEVA                          |
|        16 | MADRAS*                                | D. KRISHNAKUMAR                           |
|        17 | MANIPUR                                | SIDDHARTH MRIDUL                          |
|        18 | MEGHALAYA                              | S. VAIDYANATHAN                           |
|        19 | ORISSA                                 | CHAKRADHARI SHARAN SINGH                  |
|        20 | PATNA                                  | KRISHNAN VINOD CHANDRAN                   |
|        21 | PUNJAB&HARYANA                         | SHEEL NAGU                                |
|        22 | RAJASTHAN                              | MANINDRAMOHAN SHRIVASTAVA                 |
|        23 | SIKKIM                                 | BISWANATH SOMADDER                        |
|        24 | TELANGANA                              | ALOK ARADHE                               |
|        25 | TRIPURA                                | APARESH KUMAR SINGH                       |
|        26 | UTTARAKHAND                            | KUMARI RITU BAHRI                         |

* Acting Chief Justice

Statement  showing  Sanctioned  strength,  Working  Strength  and  Vacancies  of Judges in the Supreme Court of India (Including Chief Justice of India) and the High Courts (Including Chief Justices of High Courts) (As on 22.07.2024)

Sanctioned strength

Working strength

Vacancies

| A.   | Supreme Court    | 34   | 34   | 34    | 34   | 34   | 34    | 0    | 0    | 0     |
|------|------------------|------|------|-------|------|------|-------|------|------|-------|
| B.   | High Court       | Pmt. | Addl | Total | Pmt. | Addl | Total | Pmt. | Addl | Total |
| 1    | Allahabad        | 119  | 41   | 160   | 75   | 9    | 84    | 44   | 32   | 76    |
| 2    | Andhra Pradesh   | 28   | 9    | 37    | 22   | 6    | 28    | 6    | 3    | 9     |
| 3    | Bombay           | 71   | 23   | 94    | 56   | 10   | 66    | 15   | 13   | 28    |
| 4    | Calcutta         | 54   | 18   | 72    | 34   | 10   | 44    | 20   | 8    | 28    |
| 5    | Chhattisgarh     | 17   | 5    | 22    | 10   | 5    | 15    | 7    | 0    | 7     |
| 6    | Delhi            | 45   | 15   | 60    | 34   | 5    | 39    | 11   | 10   | 21    |
| 7    | Gauhati          | 22   | 8    | 30    | 19   | 5    | 24    | 3    | 3    | 6     |
| 8    | Gujarat          | 39   | 13   | 52    | 29   | 0    | 29    | 10   | 13   | 23    |
| 9    | Himachal Pradesh | 13   | 4    | 17    | 12   | 0    | 12    | 1    | 4    | 5     |
| 10   | J &Kand Ladakh   | 13   | 4    | 17    | 12   | 3    | 15    | 1    | 1    | 2     |
| 11   | Jharkhand        | 20   | 5    | 25    | 18   | 0    | 18    | 2    | 5    | 7     |
| 12   | Karnataka        | 47   | 15   | 62    | 43   | 7    | 50    | 4    | 8    | 12    |
| 13   | Kerala           | 35   | 12   | 47    | 29   | 10   | 39    | 6    | 2    | 8     |
| 14   | Madhya Pradesh   | 40   | 13   | 53    | 36   | 0    | 36    | 4    | 13   | 17    |
| 15   | Madras           | 56   | 19   | 75    | 50   | 13   | 63    | 6    | 6    | 12    |
| 16   | Manipur          | 4    | 1    | 5     | 4    | 0    | 4     | 0    | 1    | 1     |
| 17   | Meghalaya        | 3    | 1    | 4     | 3    | 1    | 4     | 0    | 0    | 0     |
| 18   | Orissa           | 24   | 9    | 33    | 20   | 0    | 20    | 4    | 9    | 13    |
| 19   | Patna            | 40   | 13   | 53    | 34   | 0    | 34    | 6    | 13   | 19    |
| 20   | Punjab &Haryana  | 64   | 21   | 85    | 51   | 4    | 55    | 13   | 17   | 30    |
| 21   | Rajasthan        | 38   | 12   | 50    | 33   | 0    | 33    | 5    | 12   | 17    |
| 22   | Sikkim           | 3    | 0    | 3     | 3    | 0    | 3     | 0    | 0    | 0     |
| 23   | Telangana        | 32   | 10   | 42    | 25   | 3    | 28    | 7    | 7    | 14    |
| 24   | Tripura          | 4    | 1    | 5     | 4    | 1    | 5     | 0    | 0    | 0     |
| 25   | Uttarakhand      | 9    | 2    | 11    | 7    | 0    | 7     | 2    | 2    | 4     |
|      | Total            | 840  | 274  | 1114  | 663  | 92   | 755   | 177  | 182  | 359   |