In a written reply to a question by BJP MP Sushil Modi in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said that out of a total of 554 judges appointed since 2018, 430 high court judges belong to the general category.
He said 58 were from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and 19 from the Scheduled Castes (SC). Only six were from Scheduled Tribes (STs) and 27 from minorities, the minister said, adding that the appointments include 84 women judges. The general category judges account for more than 77 per cent of the total appointments.
Noting that the constitutional provisions guiding the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court and High Courts do not provide for caste- or class-specific reservation, Rijiju said the government has been calling for ensuring social diversity in the higher judiciary.
“Government is committed to social diversity in the appointment of judges in the higher judiciary and has been requesting the Chief Justices of the High Courts to give due consideration to suitable candidates belonging to SC, ST, OBC while sending proposals for appointment of judges. , minorities and women to ensure social diversity,” read his reply.
He said that since 2018, a total of 30 judges have been appointed in the Supreme Court. Eight were appointed in 2018, 10 in 2019, none in 2020, nine in 2021 and three in 2022.
He said that of the district judges across the country, 612 are from SCs, 204 from STs, 1,329 from OBCs while 1,406 are women.
Of the Civil Judges (Junior Division) in all District and Subordinate Courts, 1,270 belong to SC, 465 to ST, 2,055 to OBC while 3,684 are women. Of the Civil Judges (Senior Division), 710 are SC, 278 are ST, 1,251 are OBC and 1,574 are women.
(with PTI inputs)
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