Lok Sabha Question No. 1276 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-06
Subject: Women Judges in Judiciary
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Km. Sudha R

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1276

## TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 06 th  FEBRUARY, 2026

## WOMEN JUDGES IN JUDICIARY

## 1276. Km. Sudha R:

Will the Minister of Law and Justice be pleased to state:

- (a) the data on the number of women judges in High Courts and the Supreme Court;
- (b) whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  persistent  gender  gap  in country's higher judiciary, where women judges constitute very minimal;
- (c) the reasons for this disparity, including systemic issues, if any;
- (d) the details of variations across States and whether this reflects inadequate pools  of  qualified  women  candidates  or  structural  barriers,  particularly  that could  benefit  from  diverse  judicial  perspectives  in  cases  involving  women's rights and social justice; and
- (e)    the steps being taken to accelerate gender parity, including timelines for increasing  women's  representation  in  the  higher  judiciary,  support  for  women lawyers?

## 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 (e): The information is at Annexure .

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.

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. Since 2014, 170 Women Judges have been appointed in the High Courts, including 96 in the last  five  years  and  06  in  the  Supreme  Court.  Only  those  persons  who  are recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium, are appointed as Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts.

Details of Women Judges in the Supreme Court and High Courts (As on 02.02.2026)

| Sl. No.            | Court(s)         | Sanctioned Strength   | Working Strength   | No. of Women Judges   |
|--------------------|------------------|-----------------------|--------------------|-----------------------|
| A.                 | Supreme Court    | 34                    | 33                 | 1                     |
| B.                 | High Court       |                       |                    |                       |
| 1                  | Allahabad        | 160                   | 110                | 7                     |
| 2                  | Andhra Pradesh   | 37                    | 32                 | 5                     |
| 3 Bombay           |                  | 94                    | 80                 | 12                    |
| 4                  | Calcutta         | 72                    | 43                 | 8                     |
| 5                  | Chhattisgarh     | 22                    | 15                 | 1                     |
| 6                  | Delhi            | 60                    | 44                 | 10                    |
| 7                  | Gauhati          | 30                    | 25                 | 5                     |
| 8 Gujarat          |                  | 52                    | 35                 | 7                     |
| 9                  | Himachal Pradesh | 17                    | 12                 | 1                     |
| 10 J               | &Kand Ladakh     | 25                    | 14                 | 2                     |
| 11 Jharkhand       | 25               |                       | 14                 | 1                     |
| 12                 | Karnataka        | 62                    | 46                 | 9                     |
| 13                 | Kerala           | 47                    | 40                 | 3                     |
| 14                 | Madhya Pradesh   | 53                    | 42                 | 1                     |
| 15                 | Madras           | 75                    | 53                 | 10                    |
| 16                 | Manipur          | 5                     | 3                  | 0                     |
| 17 Meghalaya       |                  | 4                     | 4                  | 1                     |
| 18 Orissa          |                  | 33                    | 19                 | 1                     |
| 19 Patna           |                  | 53                    | 38                 | 2                     |
| 20 Punjab& Haryana |                  | 85                    | 61                 | 18                    |
| 21 Rajasthan       |                  | 50                    | 39                 | 4                     |
| 22                 | Sikkim           | 3                     | 3                  | 1                     |
| 23 Telangana       |                  | 42                    | 28                 | 7                     |
| 24                 | Tripura          | 5                     | 4                  | 0                     |
| 25                 | Uttarakhand      | 11                    | 10                 | 0                     |
| Total              | Total            | 1122                  | 814                | 116                   |