NEW DELHI: The government remains committed to social diversity in appointment of judges in the higher judiciary and has been requesting the chief justices of high courts that due consideration be given to suitable candidates from among Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, minorities and women while recommending names to ensure social diversity in high courts, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju told Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
The minister’s written reply came on a question from senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi who asked the minister to give details of the number of judges appointed to Supreme Court and high courts during the last five years and the share of SCs, STs, OBCs and religious minorities in these appointments.
In a confirmation of a TOI report that 79% of all high courts judges in the last five years were from upper castes, the law minister said: “Out of 554 appointments made to 25 HCs in last five years, 430 belonged to the General Category, 19 SC, six ST, 58 OBC and 27 from minorities. Of these, women judges accounted for 84 appointments,” Rijiju said.
On the vacancies and pending recommendations, the minister said, “As on January 30, against the sanctioned strength of 34 judges, 27 judges are in the SC leaving seven vacancies.” Rijiju said the SC collegium has recently made seven recommendations to fill up all the vacancies.
For the high courts, against the sanctioned strength of 1,108 judges, there are still 333 vacancies.
The minister said 142 proposals recommended by high court collegiums are at various stages of processing. “Out of these 142, four are pending with the Supreme Court collegium and 138 are under various stages of processing with the government.”
He said recommendations in respect of 236 vacancies (191 existing and 45 anticipated vacancies during next six months) are yet to be received from HC collegiums.
The minister’s written reply came on a question from senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi who asked the minister to give details of the number of judges appointed to Supreme Court and high courts during the last five years and the share of SCs, STs, OBCs and religious minorities in these appointments.
In a confirmation of a TOI report that 79% of all high courts judges in the last five years were from upper castes, the law minister said: “Out of 554 appointments made to 25 HCs in last five years, 430 belonged to the General Category, 19 SC, six ST, 58 OBC and 27 from minorities. Of these, women judges accounted for 84 appointments,” Rijiju said.
On the vacancies and pending recommendations, the minister said, “As on January 30, against the sanctioned strength of 34 judges, 27 judges are in the SC leaving seven vacancies.” Rijiju said the SC collegium has recently made seven recommendations to fill up all the vacancies.
For the high courts, against the sanctioned strength of 1,108 judges, there are still 333 vacancies.
The minister said 142 proposals recommended by high court collegiums are at various stages of processing. “Out of these 142, four are pending with the Supreme Court collegium and 138 are under various stages of processing with the government.”
He said recommendations in respect of 236 vacancies (191 existing and 45 anticipated vacancies during next six months) are yet to be received from HC collegiums.
