Executive Summary:
This document presents the responses to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2163 regarding vacancies in the lower judiciary, to be answered on August 1, 2025. It includes data on sanctioned posts, working strength, and vacancies for judicial officers in District and Subordinate Courts as of July 28, 2025. It also provides information on pending cases in District Courts over the last five years, State/UT-wise.
Key Points / Main Content:
Judicial Officer Posts in District and Subordinate Courts (as of 28.07.2025):
* Annexure I details the State/UT-wise sanctioned strength, working strength, and total vacancies for judicial officers.
* The total sanctioned strength across India is 25,843, with a working strength of 21,122 and 4,721 vacancies.
* Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of vacancies (1025), while Chandigarh has no vacancies.
Grade Three and Grade Four Employees:
* Data regarding the sanctioned strength and vacancies for grade three and grade four employees in District/Subordinate Courts and High Courts is not maintained centrally.
Pending Cases in District Courts:
* Annexure II provides State/UT-wise and year-wise details of cases pending in District Courts for the last five years.
* Maharashtra has the highest number of pending cases (5,803,555 as on 28.07.2025).
* Lakshadweep has the lowest number of pending cases (521 as on 28.07.2025).
Impact Analysis:
Ministry of Law and Justice:
* Impact: Required to compile and present data on judicial vacancies and pending cases in response to parliamentary queries.
* Action Required: Continue to monitor and address vacancies in the lower judiciary and manage the caseload in District Courts.
State/UT Governments and High Courts:
* Impact: Responsible for filling judicial vacancies and managing pending cases within their respective jurisdictions.
* Action Required: Review the data provided, take steps to address vacancies, and implement strategies to reduce the backlog of pending cases.
Judicial Officers in District and Subordinate Courts:
* Impact: Affected by the workload and pressure resulting from vacancies and pending cases.
* Action Required: Continue to manage caseloads effectively while vacancies are being addressed.
Key Entities Referenced
SHRI MANISH TEWARI: Member of Parliament who raised the question in Lok Sabha
MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE: The Indian government ministry responsible for legal affairs
LOK SABHA: The lower house of the Parliament of India, where the question was raised
SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL: Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice, and Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, who provided the answer
District and Subordinate Courts: The lower judiciary courts in India, for which vacancy data is requested
High Courts: The High Courts of various states and union territories of India
Andhra Pradesh: A state in India, one of the states for which judicial data is presented
Uttar Pradesh: A state in India, one of the states for which judicial data is presented
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LAW & JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2163
TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 1ST AUGUST, 2025
VACANCY IN LOWER JUDICIARY
2163. SHRI MANISH TEWARI:
Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:
(a) the total number of sanctioned posts for judicial officers in District
and Sub-ordinate Courts across the country, State/UT-wise;
(b) the total number of vacancies of judges in District and Sub-ordinate
Courts, State/UT-wise;
(c) the total number of sanctioned posts for grade three and grade four
employees separately in District & Sub-ordinate Courts and High courts,
respectively, State/UT-wise;
(d) the total number of vacancies of said employees separately in District
& Sub-ordinate Courts and High courts, State/UT-wise; and
(e) the total number of pending cases in District Courts during the last
five years, State/UT-wise and year-wise?
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 (d): The details of sanctioned strength, working strength and vacancy
position of judicial officers in District and Subordinate Courts, as on
28.07.2025 are at Annexure-I.
As regards details of sanctioned strength and vacancies against the
posts of grade three and grade four employees in District and Sub-ordinate
Courts and High courts, this data is not maintained centrally.
1(e): The detail of cases pending in District Courts across the country
during the last five years, State/UT-wise and year-wise are at Annexure-II.
*****
2ANNEXURE-I
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (d) OF LOK
SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2163 FOR ANSWER ON 01.08.2025
REGARDING ‘VACANCY IN LOWER JUDICIARY.
Posts of Judicial Officer in District and Subordinate Courts as on 28.07.2025
Sanctioned Working Total
Sl. NO. State/UTs
Strength Strength Vacancy
1. Andhra Pradesh 639 574 65
2. Arunachal Pradesh 44 39 5
3. Assam 485 461 24
4. Bihar 2022 1679 343
5. Chandigarh 30 30 0
6. Chhattisgarh 663 465 198
7. D & N Haveli and Daman & Diu 7 6 1
8. Delhi 897 788 109
9. Goa 50 40 10
10. Gujarat 1720 1185 535
11. Haryana 781 661 120
12. Himachal Pradesh 179 160 19
13. Jammu and Kashmir 322 272 50
14. Jharkhand 707 501 206
15. Karnataka 1394 1167 227
16. Kerala 614 579 35
17. Ladakh 17 10 7
18. Lakshadweep 4 4 0
19. Madhya Pradesh 2028 1669 359
20. Maharashtra 2190 1940 250
21. Manipur 62 49 13
22. Meghalaya 99 57 42
23. Mizoram 74 45 29
24. Nagaland 34 24 10
25. Odisha 1043 835 208
26. Puducherry 38 26 12
27. Punjab 811 716 95
28. Rajasthan 1683 1506 177
29. Sikkim 35 23 12
30. Tamil Nadu 1375 1240 135
31. Telangana 560 445 115
32. Tripura 133 106 27
33. Uttar Pradesh 3700 2675 1025
34. Uttarakhand 298 270 28
35. West Bengal
1105 875 230
36. Andaman and Nicobar
TOTAL 25,843 21,122 4,721
Source: MIS portal of Department of Justice (DoJ)
3ANNEXURE-II
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (e) OF LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2163 FOR ANSWER ON 01.08.2025 REGARDING
‘VACANCY IN LOWER JUDICIARY.
Pending Cases in District and Subordinate Courts
Sl. No States Pendency Pendency Pendency Pendency Pendency *Pendency
of Cases as of Cases as of Cases as of Cases as of Cases as of Cases as
on on on on on on
31.12.2020 31.12.2021 31.12.2022 31.12.2023 31.12.2024 28.07.2025
1 Andhra Pradesh 649157 785379 841998 876689 893993 899526
2 Telangana 691646 790360 841405 873848 907392 954794
3 Andaman &Nicobar 9839 9321 9234 9950 10407 8299
4 Arunachal Pradesh 12651 14318 15923 16556 15335 10263
5 Assam 360753 415024 485455 445759 491720 546047
6 Bihar 3016743 3276696 3464725 3609527 3716100 3658281
7 Chandigarh 70633 72384 89254 104116 120210 103495
8 Chhattisgarh 331849 381984 414839 414463 417325 433967
9 Delhi 1018642 1231373 1440549 1359103 1527969 1558494
10 Dadra & Nagar 6281 6523 6733 7305 7740 8298
Haveli and Daman
& Diu
11 Goa 58967 59414 56319 57195 59190 59962
12 Gujarat 1917992 1952262 1725939 1547276 1528794 1648509
13 Haryana 1101330 1313881 1496883 1533521 1489585 1506784
14 Himachal Pradesh 420891 464892 483642 578246 631442 673692
15 Jammu& Kashmir 335513
198771 216245 272543 247244 266146
16 Ladakh 1417
17 Jharkhand 427130 490905 504697 524241 521274 554553
18 Karnataka 1709220 1780802 1864827 1925330 2060206 2210048
19 Kerala 2089289 2089147 1991193 1851414 1750373 1745154
20 Madhya Pradesh 1727293 1920613 2008566 2023950 2052363 2037995
21 Maharashtra 4504573 4800895 4953521 5131895 5510544 5803555
22 Manipur 6957 8183 7590 8125 7615 13785
23 Meghalaya 15830 16010 15014 14136 13227 15632
24 Mizoram 6338 6304 5620 6113 6480 6645
25 Nagaland 4206 4569 4443 3923 3881 3583
26 Orissa 1592250 1789677 1826100 1873312 1920825 1693114
27 Puducherry 33470 32998 31868 32086 33352 35406
28 Punjab 843791 945609 923581 875009 863867 891601
29 Rajasthan 1947688 2162774 2272463 2422125 2455623 2324222
30 Sikkim 1455 1616 1696 1523 1659 1797
31 Tamil Nadu 1263758 1331944 1387919 1375098 1386582 1573944
32 Tripura 44654 43096 40661 43526 43098 55999
33 U.T of
453 470 540 512 535 521
Lakshadweep
34 Uttar Pradesh 8781104 9966606 10986875 11147755 11486655 11394105
35 Uttarakhand 249350 287204 308694 331002 328911 324441
36 West Bengal 2170788 2384020 2512418 2698188 2923585 3576183
Total 37285742 41053498 43293727 43970061 45454003 66669624
*National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG)
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