{"id":88638,"date":"2026-02-19T11:32:23","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T06:02:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=88638"},"modified":"2026-02-19T12:16:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T06:46:42","slug":"debate-on-judicial-appointments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/debate-on-judicial-appointments\/","title":{"rendered":"Constitutional Debate on Judicial Appointments &#8211; Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Judicial Appointments Latest News<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A private member\u2019s Bill has been introduced in Parliament seeking constitutional amendments to promote diversity in judicial appointments and establish regional benches of the Supreme Court.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Constitutional Provisions on Judicial Appointments<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Constitution of India lays down the framework for appointing judges to the higher judiciary.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Article 124<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> provides that judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President after consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Article 217<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> governs the appointment of High Court judges, requiring consultation with the CJI, the Governor of the State, and the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Article 130<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> states that the seat of the Supreme Court shall be in Delhi or any other place decided by the CJI with the approval of the President.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Initially, judicial appointments were made by the executive after consultation with the judiciary.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, over time, concerns regarding judicial independence led to a shift in the balance of power.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Evolution of the Collegium System<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The collegium system emerged through judicial interpretation rather than constitutional amendment.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the <\/span><b>First Judges Case (1981)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the Supreme Court upheld executive primacy in judicial appointments.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the <\/span><b>Second Judges Case (1993)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the Court reversed this position, establishing the collegium system and giving primacy to the judiciary.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Third Judges Case (1998)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> clarified the composition and functioning of the collegium.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The collegium for Supreme Court appointments consists of the CJI and four senior-most judges.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For High Courts, it includes the CJI and two senior-most judges. The recommendations are sent to the Central government, which may return them once for reconsideration. If reiterated, the government is bound to appoint.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the collegium system strengthened judicial independence, it has faced criticism for a lack of transparency, accountability, and allegations of nepotism.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>The NJAC and Judicial Independence<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2014, Parliament enacted the <\/span><b>99th Constitutional Amendment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to establish the <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-judicial-appointments-commission-njac\/\" target=\"_blank\">National Judicial Appointments Commission<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (NJAC).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The NJAC included the CJI, two senior judges, the Union Law Minister, and two eminent persons.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, in 2015, the Supreme Court struck down the NJAC as unconstitutional, holding that it violated the basic structure doctrine by compromising judicial independence. As a result, the collegium system continues to operate.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Diversity in the Judiciary<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The current debate centres on the limited representation of marginalised groups in higher judicial appointments.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data cited in the discussion shows that between 2018 and 2024, only about 20% of appointees to the higher judiciary belonged to the Scheduled Castes (SC), the Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backwards Classes (OBC).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Representation of women remains below 15%, and religious minorities below 5%.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The private member Bill seeks to constitutionally mandate due representation for SCs, STs, OBCs, women, and religious minorities in proportion to their population.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This marks a significant shift from the purely merit-based framework toward a more socially representative model.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The issue touches upon two constitutional values:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Judicial Independence<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Substantive Equality and Social Justice<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A more diverse judiciary is often argued to enhance public confidence, improve sensitivity in adjudication, and reflect India\u2019s pluralistic society.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Proposal for Regional Benches of the Supreme Court<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another key proposal in the Bill is the establishment of <\/span><b>regional benches of the Supreme Court in New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Chennai<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Currently, the Supreme Court sits only in Delhi. This creates accessibility challenges for litigants from distant States. Additionally, more than 90,000 cases are pending before the Court as of January 2026.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The proposed regional benches would exercise full jurisdiction except for constitutional matters, which would remain with the Constitution Bench in Delhi.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The idea of regional benches has been recommended in the past by the<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/law-commission-of-india\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Law Commission<\/a><\/strong> and Parliamentary committees.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It <\/span><b>can be implemented under Article 130 without requiring a constitutional amendment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, as the Chief Justice can designate alternative seats with executive approval.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Way Forward<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The responsibility for ensuring diversity primarily lies with the judiciary through reforms in the collegium process.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Greater transparency, objective criteria, and data-based selection can strengthen legitimacy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A long-term reform could involve revisiting a broad-based judicial appointments commission that balances independence with accountability.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">International examples such as the U.K. and South Africa show that inclusion of members from the executive, legislature, and civil society can coexist with judicial independence.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On regional benches, a phased approach may be considered, starting with one bench and expanding based on experience. This would improve access to justice and reduce pendency.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Source:<\/b> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/the-need-for-diversity-in-the-judiciary-explained\/article70648994.ece#:~:text=The%20proportion%20of%20women%20and,Supreme%20Court%20and%20High%20courts.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TH<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The constitutional debate on judicial appointments has intensified after a private member Bill proposed constitutional amendments for inclusive judicial appointments and regional benches of the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":88658,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[5545,60,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-88638","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-judicial-appointments","9":"tag-mains-articles","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88638","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88638"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88638\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":88705,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88638\/revisions\/88705"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88638"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88638"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88638"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}