LI Network
Published on: December 08, 2023 at 11:40 IST
According to data provided by the Union Minister of Law & Justice, out of the 650 High Court judges appointed between 2018 and 2023, only 25% belong to the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and religious minorities.
The majority, comprising 492 judges (75.69%), fall under the General Category. The breakdown reveals that 23 judges are from the SC category, 10 from the ST category, 76 from OBCs, and 36 from religious minorities.
The representation from these categories stands at approximately 3.54%, 1.54%, 11.7%, and 5.54%, respectively, totaling around 22.24%. The Law Ministry noted that data for 13 judges are currently unavailable.
Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal provided these insights in response to questions posed by Rajya Sabha MP Dr. John Brittas of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
In addition to demographic details, the Minister also disclosed information about gender representation in the higher judiciary. Out of the total 824 judges serving in the Supreme Court and High Courts (34 in SC and 790 in HC), 111 are women, constituting approximately 13.5% of the total judiciary.