Parliament Question: Establishing High Court Bench in Surat

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1551 ANSWERED ON 12/02/2026 ESTABLISHING HIGH COURT BENCH IN SURAT

1551. # SHRI GOVINDBHAI LALJIBHAI DHOLAKIA:

Will the Minister of Law and Justice be pleased to state:

(a) whether Article 214 of the Constitution provides for a High Court for each State, while

Section 51 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 provides for the establishment of benches away from the principal seat;

(b) the details of benches of High Courts established in the States under the said provision; and

(c) whether there is any proposal under consideration before Government for establishment of a bench of Gujarat High Court in Surat? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)

(a) to (c): Article 214 of the Constitution of India provides that “There shall be a High Court for each State” while Section 51 of the States Re-Organisation Act, 1956 provides for Principal seat and other places of sitting of High Courts for new States.

The information regarding Benches of High Courts established in the States is at Annexure.

High Court Benches are established in accordance with the recommendations made by the Jaswant Singh Commission and judgment pronounced by the Apex Court in W.P. (C) No. 379 of 2000 and after due consideration of a complete proposal from the State Government which has to provide necessary expenditure and infrastructural facilities and theChief Justice of the concerned High Court who is required to look after the day-to-day administration of the High Court. The proposal to be complete should also have the consent of the Governor of the concerned State.

At present there is no complete proposal pending with the Government of India to establish a High Court Bench in Surat. ***ANNEXURE High Court Benches Sl. High Court Principal Jurisdiction Permanent Bench and Date No. Seat from which the Bench began functioning 1 Allahabad Prayagraj Uttar Pradesh 1. Lucknow (01.07.1948) 2 Andhra Pradesh Amaravati Andhra Pradesh High Court w.e.f.1.1.2019 3 Bombay Mumbai Maharashtra; 2. Nagpur (01.05.1960) Goa; 3. Panaji (01.07.1948) UT of Dadra & Nagar 4. Aurangabad(27.08.1984) Haveli and Daman & Diu 5. Kolhapur (Circuit Bench w.e.f.

18.08.2025) 4 Calcutta Kolkata West Bengal & Andaman & Circuit Benches- Nicobar Islands (UT) 5.Port Blair (2.5.1950)

6. Jalpaiguri (7.2.2019) 5 Chhattisgarh Bilaspur Chhattisgarh - 6 Delhi New Delhi NCT of Delhi - 7 Gauhati Guwahati Assam, Nagaland, 7. Kohima,(10.02.1990) Mizoram, & 8. Aizawl, (05.07.1990) Arunachal Pradesh 9. Itanagar (12.08.2000) 8 Gujarat Sola (Ahmedabad) Gujarat - 9 Himachal Pradesh Shimla Himachal Pradesh - 10 Jammu & Jammu & Srinagar UTs of Jammu & Kashmir - Kashmir and and Ladakh Ladakh 11 Jharkhand Ranchi Jharkhand - 12 Karnataka Bangalore Karnataka 10. Dharwad (24.08.2008)

11. Gulbarga(31.08.2008) Previously functioned as Circuit Benches on 7.2.2008 13 Kerala Kochi Kerala & - Lakshadweep Islands (UT) 14 Madhya Pradesh Jabalpur Madhya Pradesh 12. Gwalior (01.11.1956)

13. Indore (01.11.1956) 15 Madras Chennai Tamil Nadu & 14. Madurai (24.07.2004) Puducherry (UT) 16 Manipur Imphal Manipur High Court w.e.f. 23.03.2013 Previously functioned as Pmt.

Bench (21.01.1992) 17 Meghalaya Shillong Meghalaya High Court w.e.f. 23.03.2013 Previously functioned as Pmt.

Bench (04.02.1998) 18 Orissa Cuttack Odisha - 19 Patna Patna Bihar - 20 Punjab & Haryana Chandigarh Punjab, Haryana & - Chandigarh (UT) 21 Rajasthan Jodhpur Rajasthan 15. Jaipur (31.01.1977) 22 Sikkim Gangtok Sikkim - 23 Telangana Hyderabad Telangana - 24 Tripura Agartala Tripura High Court w.e.f. 23.03.2013 Previously functioned as Pmt.

Bench (10.05.1992) 25 Uttarakhand Nainital Uttarakhand -