Lok Sabha Question No. 2336 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-13
Subject: Judicial Vacancies in Maharashtra
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Adv Gowaal Kagada Padavi, Shri Vishaldada Prakashbapu Patil, Dr. Bachhav Shobha Dinesh, Ms. Praniti Sushilkumar Shinde

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE

## DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2336 TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 13 th  FEBRUARY, 2026

## JUDICIAL VACANCIES IN MAHARASHTRA

2336. Adv Gowaal Kagada Padavi:

Shri Vishaldada Prakashbapu Patil:

Ms. Praniti Sushilkumar Shinde:

Dr. Bachhav Shobha Dinesh:

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

- (a) the details and the reasons for vacancies of judicial officers in district and subordinate courts of Maharashtra that have remained stagnant at approximately 250 since 2021, and whether any specific advisory has been issued to the State to expedite recruitment;
- (b) the details of the 4,855 vacant posts of judges in district courts across India and the number of cases pending for over 30 years in the Bombay High Court and district courts; and
- (c)  the  details  of  the  budgetary  allocation  for  e-Courts  Phase  III  for  the  financial  year  2025-26, including the actual fund utilization and the progress made in establishing "Digital Courts" in rural districts?

## 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): The details of vacancies of judicial officers in district and subordinate courts of Maharashtra since 2021 is as below:

| Strength                   | 31.12.2021 to 11.02.2026   |
|----------------------------|----------------------------|
| Sanctioned Strength        | 2190                       |
| Working Strength           | 1940                       |
| Vacancies                  | 250                        |
| Source: Nyaya Vikas Portal | Source: Nyaya Vikas Portal |

High Courts and State Governments concerned. As per the Constitutional framework, in exercise of powers conferred under the 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 appointment and recruitment of Judicial Officers in the respective State Judicial Service. The Hon'ble Supreme Court vide order passed in January 2007 in the Malik Mazhar Sultan case, has inter-alia , stipulated certain timelines, which are to be followed by the States and the respective High Courts, for the recruitment of judges in District and Subordinate Courts. The Government of India has, from time to time, requested the State Governments and the respective High Courts to fill up the existing vacancies, and recently a D.O. letter dated 04.02.2026 has been addressed to the Hon'ble Chief Justice of the concerned High Court .

(b): As per information available on Nyaya Vikas Portal, the details of the vacant posts of judges in district courts across India, as on 11.02.2026, are at Annexure.

The number of cases pending for over 30 years in the Bombay High Court and District Courts is as follows:

|   Sr. No. |                              | Civil   | Criminal   | Total   |
|-----------|------------------------------|---------|------------|---------|
|         1 | Bombay High Court            | 3,838   | 9          | 3,847   |
|         2 | District Courts, Maharashtra | 2,204   | 10,530     | 12,734  |

(c): Under  eCourts  Phase-III,  the  Department  of  Justice,  Government  of  India  has  allocated ₹92,40,95,320/- to the High Court of Bombay for the financial year 2025-26. Out of the allocated amount,  an  expenditure  of  ₹63,11,48,890/-  has  been  incurred  till  date.  As  a  part  of  the  project implementation progress, the High Court of Bombay has identified a total of 72 Online Courts, two courts  at  each  District  Headquarters,  to  function  as  Online  Courts.  The  requisite  hardware  as provisioned by the eCommittee, Supreme Court of India has been provided to these courts.

*******

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (B) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2336 FOR ANSWER ON 13.02.2026 REGARDING 'JUDICIAL VACANCIES IN MAHARASHTRA'

## Details of vacant posts of judges in District & Subordinate Courts across India, as on 11.02.2026

|         | States &UTs             | Subordinate Judicial Service                      | Subordinate Judicial Service                   | Subordinate Judicial Service          | Subordinate Judicial Service                      | Subordinate Judicial Service                   | Subordinate Judicial Service          | Higher Judicial Service            | Higher Judicial Service         | Higher Judicial Service   | Total                     | Total                  | Total         |
|---------|-------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|------------------------|---------------|
| Sl. No. | States &UTs             | Civil Judge (Junior Division) Sanctioned Strength | Civil Judge (Junior Division) Working Strength | Civil Judge (Junior Division) Vacancy | Civil Judge (Senior Division) Sanctioned Strength | Civil Judge (Senior Division) Working Strength | Civil Judge (Senior Division) Vacancy | District Judge Sanctioned Strength | District Judge Working Strength | District Judge Vacancy    | Total Sanctioned Strength | Total Working Strength | Total Vacancy |
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh          | 329                                               | 275                                            | 54                                    | 138                                               | 137                                            | 1                                     | 176                                | 160                             | 16                        | 643                       | 572                    | 71            |
| 2       | Arunachal Pradesh       | 20                                                | 13                                             | 7                                     | 19                                                | 15                                             | 4                                     | 14                                 | 11                              | 3                         | 53                        | 39                     | 14            |
| 3       | Assam                   | 206                                               | 205                                            | 1                                     | 148                                               | 139                                            | 9                                     | 131                                | 117                             | 14                        | 485                       | 461                    | 24            |
| 4       | Bihar                   | 886                                               | 732                                            | 154                                   | 421                                               | 316                                            | 105                                   | 718                                | 617                             | 101                       | 2025                      | 1665                   | 360           |
| 5       | Chandigarh              | 18                                                | 18                                             | 0                                     | 2                                                 | 2                                              | 0                                     | 10                                 | 9                               | 1                         | 30                        | 29                     | 1             |
| 6       | Chhattisgarh            | 239                                               | 164                                            | 75                                    | 158                                               | 132                                            | 26                                    | 266                                | 169                             | 97                        | 663                       | 465                    | 198           |
| 7       | D &NHaveli              | 1                                                 | 1                                              | 0                                     | 1                                                 | 1                                              | 0                                     | 1                                  | 0                               | 1                         | 3                         | 2                      | 1             |
| 8       | Daman &Diu              | 1                                                 | 1                                              | 0                                     | 2                                                 | 2                                              | 0                                     | 1                                  | 1                               | 0                         | 4                         | 4                      | 0             |
| 9       | Delhi                   | 361                                               | 329                                            | 32                                    | 121                                               | 109                                            | 12                                    | 415                                | 398                             | 17                        | 897                       | 836                    | 61            |
| 10      | Goa                     | 25                                                | 19                                             | 6                                     | 14                                                | 12                                             | 2                                     | 11                                 | 9                               | 2                         | 50                        | 40                     | 10            |
| 11      | Gujarat                 | 646                                               | 441                                            | 205                                   | 554                                               | 482                                            | 72                                    | 520                                | 262                             | 258                       | 1720                      | 1185                   | 535           |
| 12      | Haryana                 | 395                                               | 301                                            | 94                                    | 132                                               | 133                                            | -1                                    | 254                                | 212                             | 42                        | 781                       | 646                    | 135           |
| 13      | Himachal Pradesh        | 80                                                | 69                                             | 11                                    | 48                                                | 47                                             | 1                                     | 60                                 | 56                              | 4                         | 188                       | 172                    | 16            |
| 14      | Jammu and Kashmir       | 143                                               | 102                                            | 41                                    | 88                                                | 79                                             | 9                                     | 91                                 | 89                              | 2                         | 322                       | 270                    | 52            |
| 15      | Jharkhand               | 311                                               | 139                                            | 172                                   | 156                                               | 155                                            | 1                                     | 240                                | 202                             | 38                        | 707                       | 496                    | 211           |
| 16      | Karnataka               | 560                                               | 386                                            | 174                                   | 440                                               | 413                                            | 27                                    | 395                                | 330                             | 65                        | 1395                      | 1129                   | 266           |
| 17      | Kerala                  | 270                                               | 259                                            | 11                                    | 94                                                | 82                                             | 12                                    | 247                                | 236                             | 11                        | 611                       | 577                    | 34            |
| 18      | Ladakh                  | 8                                                 | 2                                              | 6                                     | 6                                                 | 4                                              | 2                                     | 3                                  | 3                               | 0                         | 17                        | 9                      | 8             |
| 19      | Lakshadweep             | 1                                                 | 1                                              | 0                                     | 2                                                 | 2                                              | 0                                     | 1                                  | 1                               | 0                         | 4                         | 4                      | 0             |
| 20      | Madhya Pradesh          | 768                                               | 462                                            | 306                                   | 514                                               | 503                                            | 11                                    | 746                                | 674                             | 72                        | 2028                      | 1639                   | 389           |
| 21      | Maharashtra             | 1118                                              | 920                                            | 198                                   | 518                                               | 510                                            | 8                                     | 554                                | 510                             | 44                        | 2190                      | 1940                   | 250           |
| 22      | Manipur                 | 22                                                | 18                                             | 4                                     | 20                                                | 13                                             | 7                                     | 20                                 | 18                              | 2                         | 62                        | 49                     | 13            |
| 23      | Meghalaya               | 26                                                | 15                                             | 11                                    | 25                                                | 21                                             | 4                                     | 48                                 | 21                              | 27                        | 99                        | 57                     | 42            |
| 24      | Mizoram                 | 41                                                | 13                                             | 28                                    | 17                                                | 17                                             | 0                                     | 16                                 | 15                              | 1                         | 74                        | 45                     | 29            |
| 25      | Nagaland                | 12                                                | 7                                              | 5                                     | 8                                                 | 5                                              | 3                                     | 14                                 | 12                              | 2                         | 34                        | 24                     | 10            |
| 26      | Odisha                  | 490                                               | 380                                            | 110                                   | 288                                               | 267                                            | 21                                    | 266                                | 214                             | 52                        | 1044                      | 861                    | 183           |
| 27      | Puducherry              | 19                                                | 15                                             | 4                                     | 10                                                | 5                                              | 5                                     | 9                                  | 6                               | 3                         | 38                        | 26                     | 12            |
| 28      | Punjab                  | 435                                               | 363                                            | 72                                    | 138                                               | 136                                            | 2                                     | 239                                | 200                             | 39                        | 812                       | 699                    | 113           |
| 29      | Rajasthan               | 567                                               | 577                                            | -10                                   | 439                                               | 381                                            | 58                                    | 692                                | 531                             | 161                       | 1698                      | 1489                   | 209           |
| 30      | Sikkim                  | 13                                                | 4                                              | 9                                     | 7                                                 | 5                                              | 2                                     | 15                                 | 14                              | 1                         | 35                        | 23                     | 12            |
| 31      | Tamil Nadu              | 650                                               | 574                                            | 76                                    | 371                                               | 364                                            | 7                                     | 365                                | 296                             | 69                        | 1386                      | 1234                   | 152           |
| 32      | Telangana               | 245                                               | 218                                            | 27                                    | 142                                               | 92                                             | 50                                    | 173                                | 135                             | 38                        | 560                       | 445                    | 115           |
| 33      | Tripura                 | 53                                                | 43                                             | 10                                    | 40                                                | 39                                             | 1                                     | 40                                 | 37                              | 3                         | 133                       | 119                    | 14            |
| 34      | Uttar Pradesh           | 1203                                              | 757                                            | 446                                   | 806                                               | 706                                            | 100                                   | 1691                               | 1168                            | 523                       | 3700                      | 2631                   | 1069          |
| 35      | Uttarakhand             | 108                                               | 91                                             | 17                                    | 88                                                | 83                                             | 5                                     | 102                                | 96                              | 6                         | 298                       | 270                    | 28            |
|         | West Bengal Andaman and | 430                                               | 354                                            |                                       |                                                   |                                                |                                       |                                    |                                 |                           |                           | 875                    |               |
| 36      | Nicobar TOTAL           | 10,700                                            | 8,268                                          | 76 2,432                              | 337 6,312                                         | 246 5,655                                      | 91 657                                | 338 8,882                          | 275 7,104                       | 63 1,778                  | 1105 25,894               | 21,027                 | 230 4,867     |

Source: Nyaya Vikas Portal