In Parliament, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal revealed that only 108 of the 698 High Court judges appointed since 2018 are women. Additionally, a breakdown showed 22 judges from Scheduled Castes, 15 from Scheduled Tribes, and 87 from Other Backward Classes.
New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Law & Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal informed Parliament that out of 698 High Court judges appointed since 2018, only 108 are women.
He also provided a breakdown of judicial appointments by social category, stating that:
- 22 judges belong to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community
- 15 judges belong to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community
- 87 judges are from the Other Backward Classes (OBC)
- 37 judges are from minority communities
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The Ministry of Law and Justice was responding to a query by Member of Parliament Neeraj Dangi, who sought information on the percentage of SC/ST judges appointed across the country and the government’s steps to increase representation in High Courts.
The Ministry clarified that data on judges from the district judiciary is not centrally maintained. However, since 2018, candidates recommended for High Court appointments are required to disclose their social background in a prescribed format developed in consultation with the Supreme Court.
According to data provided by the Law Ministry: Out of 20,466 judges in district and subordinate courts, 3,871 judges belong to the SC/ST category, making up 19% of the total strength.
In response to a question about judicial appointments per lakh population, the Ministry stated:
“Based on the population as per Census 2011, which was 1210.19 million, and as per the available information regarding the sanctioned strength of Judges in Supreme Court, High Courts, and District & Subordinate Courts as on 31.12.2024, the judge-to-population ratio in the country works out to be approximately 21 Judges per million population.”
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This data highlights the need for improved representation of women, SC/ST, and OBC judges in the Indian judiciary to ensure diversity and inclusion in the legal system.
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