Lok Sabha Question No. 411 (STARRED), answered on 2025-03-28
Subject: Representation of Judges of Weaker Communities in Courts
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Shri Charanjit Singh Channi, Shri Robert Bruce C

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *411

## TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 28.03.2025

## Representation of Judges of Weaker Communities in Courts

## *411 SHRI CHARANJIT SINGH CHANNI : SHRI ROBERT BRUCE C:

Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE

be pleased to state:

- (a) the  total  number  of  Judges  appointed  to Supreme Court (SC) and High Courts (HCs) of the country, State-wise since 2014;
- (b) the number of judges belonging to SC, ST, OBC  and  minority communities  appointed  in  SC  and  HCs  in  the  country  since  2014, category-wise;
- (c) whether it is  fact  that  from  2018  to  19  December,  2022,  a  total  of  537 judges were appointed to the High Courts of which 1.3% belonged to STs, 2.8% to SCs, 11% to OBC categories and 2.6% to minority communities;
- (d) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  reasons  for  inadequate  representation  of Judges of the said communities in the said courts;
- (e) the steps being taken by the Government to provide adequate representation to the said communities in the said courts; and
- (f)
- the details of judicial posts vacant in the courts in the country?

## 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 (f): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (f) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *411 FOR ANSWER ON 28.03.2025 REGARDING 'REPRESENTATION OF JUDGES OF WEAKER COMMUNITIES IN COURTS'.

(a) to (f): Details regarding appointment of Judges in the Supreme Court and the High  Courts  since  2014  are  at Annexure-I .  Details  regarding  sanctioned strength,  working  strength  and  vacancy  of  Judges  in  the  Supreme  Court  and High Court 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 any caste or class of persons among the Judges of Supreme Court and 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). Hence, since 2018 the data on appointees to that extent is available. As per the information provided by the recommendees,  out  of  540  Judges  appointed  from  2018  till  31.12.2022,  15 belong to SC category, 7 belong to ST category, 57 belong to OBC category and 27 belong to minority category.

As  per  the  Memorandum  of  Procedure  (MoP),  the  responsibility  for initiation  of  proposals  for  appointment  of  Judges  in  the  Supreme  Court  vests with  the  Chief  Justice  of  India,  while  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.

****

Annexure-I Appointment of Judges in the Supreme Court and the High Courts since 2014.

| S.No.   | Name of the Court   | 2014   | 2015   | 2016   | 2017   | 2018   | 2019   | 2020   | 2021   | 2022   | 2023   | 2024   | 2025   |
|---------|---------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| A.      | Supreme Court       | 09     | 01     | 03     | 06     | 08     | 10     | -      | 09     | 03     | 14     | 04     | 02     |
| B.      | High Courts         |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| 1       | Allahabad           | 13     | 7      | 20     | 31     | 28     | 10     | 4      | 17     | 13     | 9      | 0      | 1      |
| 2       | Andhra Pradesh      | 0      | 0      | 0      | 0      | 0      | 2      | 7      | 2      | 14     | 6      | 3      | 2      |
| 3       | Bombay              | 14     | 0      | 6      | 14     | 4      | 11     | 4      | 6      | 19     | 9      | 5      | 1      |
| 4       | Calcutta            | 1      | 8      | 1      | 6      | 11     | 6      | 1      | 8      | 16     | 0      | 0      | 4      |
| 5       | Chhattisgarh        | 2      | 0      | 3      | 3      | 4      | 0      | 0      | 3      | 3      | 2      | 3      | 0      |
| 6       | Delhi               | 4      | 0      | 5      | 4      | 5      | 4      | 0      | 2      | 17     | 5      | 0      | 5      |
| 7       | Gauhati             | 0      | 5      | 5      | 2      | 2      | 4      | 0      | 6      | 2      | 5      | 0      | 1      |
| 8       | Gujarat             | 1      | 0      | 5      | 0      | 4      | 3      | 7      | 7      | 0      | 8      | 4      | 0      |
| 9       | Himachal Pradesh    | 3      | 0      | 4      | 0      | 0      | 2      | 0      | 1      | 2      | 3      | 0      | 0      |
| 10      | J &Kand Ladakh      | 0      | 0      | 0      | 3      | 2      | 0      | 5      | 2      | 4      | 0      | 1      | 0      |
| 11      | Jharkhand           | 3      | 1      | 4      | 2      | 3      | 2      | 0      | 4      | 1      | 0      | 1      | 0      |
| 12      | Karnataka           | 5      | 0      | 5      | 2      | 12     | 10     | 10     | 6      | 6      | 5      | 0      | 1      |
| 13      | Kerala              | 6      | 7      | 5      | 3      | 4      | 1      | 6      | 12     | 1      | 3      | 12     | 0      |
| 14      | Madhya Pradesh      | 7      | 0      | 18     | 0      | 8      | 2      | 0      | 8      | 6      | 14     | 0      | 1      |
| 15      | Madras              | 0      | 0      | 25     | 12     | 8      | 1      | 10     | 5      | 4      | 13     | 3      | 0      |
| 16      | Manipur             | 1      | 0      | 1      | 0      | 0      | 0      | 1      | 0      | 0      | 2      | 0      | 0      |
| 17      | Meghalaya           | 0      | 0      | 0      | 0      | 1      | 1      | 0      | 0      | 0      | 1      | 0      | 0      |
| 18      | Orissa              | 3      | 3      | 0      | 0      | 1      | 1      | 2      | 4      | 6      | 2      | 0      | 0      |
| 19      | Patna               | 4      | 2      | 6      | 6      | 0      | 4      | 0      | 6      | 11     | 2      | 2      | 3      |
| 20      | Punjab &Haryana     | 14     | 1      | 1      | 8      | 7      | 10     | 1      | 6      | 21     | 4      | 0      | 2      |
| 21      | Rajasthan           | 1      | 0      | 11     | 5      | 0      | 3      | 6      | 8      | 2      | 9      | 0      | 4      |
| 22      | Sikkim              | 0      | 1      | 0      | 1      | 0      | 0      | 0      | 0      | 0      | 0      | 0      | 0      |
| 23      | Telangana           | 0      | 0      | 1      | 10     | 0      | 3      | 1      | 7      | 17     | 3      | 0      | 4      |
| 24      | Tripura             | 0      | 0      | 0      | 0      | 1      | 0      | 1      | 0      | 0      | 2      | 0      | 0      |
| 25      | Uttarakhand         | 0      | 0      | 0      | 3      | 3      | 1      | 0      | 0      | 0      | 3      | 0      | 2      |
|         | Total (High Courts) | 82     | 35     | 126    | 115    | 108    | 81     | 66     | 120    | 165    | 110    | 34     | 31     |

## Annexure-II

## Statement showing sanctioned strength and working strength of Judges in Supreme Court and High Courts (As on 24.03.2025)

| Sl. No.   | Name of Court    | Sanctioned Strength   | Working Strength   | Vacancy   |
|-----------|------------------|-----------------------|--------------------|-----------|
| A.        | Supreme Court    | 34                    | 33                 | 01        |
| B.        | High Court       |                       |                    |           |
| 1         | Allahabad        | 160                   | 79                 | 81        |
| 2         | Andhra Pradesh   | 37                    | 30                 | 7         |
| 3         | Bombay           | 94                    | 66                 | 28        |
| 4         | Calcutta         | 72                    | 46                 | 26        |
| 5         | Chhattisgarh     | 22                    | 16                 | 6         |
| 6         | Delhi            | 60                    | 39                 | 21        |
| 7         | Gauhati          | 30                    | 25                 | 5         |
| 8         | Gujarat          | 52                    | 32                 | 20        |
| 9         | Himachal Pradesh | 17                    | 12                 | 5         |
| 10        | J &Kand Ladakh   | 25                    | 15                 | 10        |
| 11        | Jharkhand        | 25                    | 15                 | 10        |
| 12        | Karnataka        | 62                    | 50                 | 12        |
| 13        | Kerala           | 47                    | 44                 | 3         |
| 14        | Madhya Pradesh   | 53                    | 34                 | 19        |
| 15        | Madras           | 75                    | 65                 | 10        |
| 16        | Manipur          | 5                     | 4                  | 1         |
| 17        | Meghalaya        | 4                     | 4                  | 0         |
| 18        | Orissa           | 33                    | 18                 | 15        |
| 19        | Patna            | 53                    | 37                 | 16        |
| 20        | Punjab &Haryana  | 85                    | 53                 | 32        |
| 21        | Rajasthan        | 50                    | 34                 | 16        |
| 22        | Sikkim           | 3                     | 3                  | 0         |
| 23        | Telangana        | 42                    | 30                 | 12        |
| 24        | Tripura          | 5                     | 5                  | 0         |
| 25        | Uttarakhand      | 11                    | 9                  | 2         |
| Total     |                  | 1122                  | 765                | 357       |