Chief Justice of India Surya Kant urged High Courts to prioritise women in judicial appointments. Most courts agreed, amid low female representation, with only 116 of 813 High Court judges being women, highlighting gender imbalance in judiciary.
Former Chief Justice of India N. V. Ramana said the government lacked intent to achieve gender parity despite women forming forty percent of trial court judiciary. He said, “Government showed casual attitude appointing women judges in higher courts.”
Gita Mittal highlighted challenges women face entering and advancing in the judiciary, recalling a Delhi High Court collegium meeting where she questioned the absence of women during discussions on judicial appointments.
Surya Kant said institutional intent alone cannot improve women’s representation in the higher judiciary, urging High Court collegiums to consider deserving women lawyers and expand the zone of consideration so their elevation to the Bench becomes the norm.
The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended Orissa High Court Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo for appointment as Chief Justice of the Patna High Court. The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by CJI Surya Kant on December 18.
CJI BR Gavai’s tenure boosted judicial diversity with 11 judges from Backward Classes and 10 from Scheduled Castes appointed to High Courts. His leadership marked one of the strongest pushes for inclusive representation in India’s judiciary.
Outgoing CJI B.R. Gavai has released official data showing that 93 out of 129 names were approved for High Court judges during his tenure. The figures also reveal details on caste, minority and women representation in the Collegium’s recommendations.
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has appealed to Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. They urged the finalisation of the MoP, calling for a “transparent, equitable, and merit-driven” framework for judicial appointments.
CJI B.R. Gavai said interacting with judicial candidates is really helpful, noting that even a 10 to 15 minute talk can give valuable insights. He stressed the collegium’s practice improves transparency and ensures better judicial appointments.
Today, On 29th July, Madhya Pradesh judge resigns saying “Judiciary failed me” after the judicial officer she accused of sexual harassment and caste discrimination gets promoted to High Court. She called the system’s silence a betrayal of justice.
