GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1276
TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 06th FEBRUARY, 2026
WOMEN JUDGES IN JUDICIARY
1276. Km. Sudha R:
Will the Minister of Law and Justice be pleased to state:
(a) the data on the number of women judges in High Courts and the Supreme
Court;
(b) whether the Government is aware of the persistent...
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1276 TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 06th FEBRUARY, 2026 WOMEN JUDGES IN JUDICIARY
1276. Km. Sudha R:
Will the Minister of Law and Justice be pleased to state:
(a) the data on the number of women judges in High Courts and the Supreme Court;
(b) whether the Government is aware of the persistent gender gap in country's higher judiciary, where women judges constitute very minimal;
(c) the reasons for this disparity, including systemic issues, if any;
(d) the details of variations across States and whether this reflects inadequate pools of qualified women candidates or structural barriers, particularly that could benefit from diverse judicial perspectives in cases involving women's rights and social justice; and
(e) the steps being taken to accelerate gender parity, including timelines for increasing women's representation in the higher judiciary, support for women lawyers? 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 (e): The information is at Annexure.: 2 :
Appointment of Judges to the Supreme Court and High Courts is made under Articles 124, 217 and 224 of the Constitution of India, which do not provide for reservation for any caste or class of persons.
As per the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP), the responsibility for initiation of proposals for appointment of Judges in the Supreme Court vests with the Chief Justice of India, while the responsibility for initiation of proposals for appointment of Judges in the High Courts vests with the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court. However, the Government is committed to enhancing social diversity in judiciary and has been requesting the Chief Justices of High Courts that while sending proposals for appointment of Judges, due consideration be given to suitable candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Minorities and Women to ensure social diversity in the appointment of Judges in High Courts. Since 2014, 170 Women Judges have been appointed in the High Courts, including 96 in the last five years and 06 in the Supreme Court. Only those persons who are recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium, are appointed as Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts.
***ANNEXURE Details of Women Judges in the Supreme Court and High Courts (As on 02.02.2026) Court(s) Sanctioned Working No. of Women Sl. No. Strength Strength Judges A. Supreme Court 34 33 1 B. High Court 1 Allahabad 160 110 7 2 Andhra Pradesh 37 32 5 3 Bombay 94 80 12 4 Calcutta 72 43 8 5 Chhattisgarh 22 15 1 6 Delhi 60 44 10 7 Gauhati 30 25 5 8 Gujarat 52 35 7 Himachal 17 12 1 9 Pradesh 10 J & K and 25 14 2 Ladakh 11 Jharkhand 25 14 1 12 Karnataka 62 46 9 13 Kerala 47 40 3 14 Madhya Pradesh 53 42 1 15 Madras 75 53 10 16 Manipur 5 3 0 17 Meghalaya 4 4 1 18 Orissa 33 19 1 19 Patna 53 38 2 Punjab & 85 61 18 20 Haryana 21 Rajasthan 50 39 4 22 Sikkim 3 3 1 23 Telangana 42 28 7 24 Tripura 5 4 0 25 Uttarakhand 11 10 0 Total 1122 814 116