HC collegiums yet to recommend names for 198 vacancies of judges

Law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal informed Lok Sabha that there are currently 42 pending recommendations for the appointment of High Court judges with the Supreme Court collegium. There are also 60 recommendations that have been remitted to the High Courts for reconsideration. The High Court collegiums are not adhering to the timeline for initiating recommendations against vacancies, leading to a backlog. Currently, 29% of judges' posts in 25 high courts are vacant, with 324 vacancies as of December 1. The government has appointed 165 judges in 2022 and 110 judges in 2023.