Better Late Than Never? NITI Aayog Proposes Pan-India Examination For Lower Judiciary Judges

The policy think-tank NITI Aayog has mooted the idea of a pan-India examination for recruitment to the lower judiciary in a bid to attract young and bright law graduates and enhance accountability in the governance system, reports The Indian Express.

“An all-India judicial services examination on a ranking basis can be considered to maintain high standards in the judiciary. The selection process shall be entrusted to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for a cadre of lower judiciary judges, Indian Legal Service (both centre and states), prosecutors, legal advisors, and legal draftsmen,” stated the NITI Aayog 'Strategy for New India' that defines objectives for 2022-2023.

NITI Aayog has also suggested formulating an administrative cadre in the judicial system to streamline judicial processes. “To maintain judicial independence, the cadre should report to the Chief Justice in each of the 24 high courts in the country,” it said.

Additionally, the report also calls for a performance index for judges and preparation of a separate state-wide index for “ease of getting justice”.

The government had earlier proposed establishing an all-India judicial service but nine high courts opposed the proposal. As of now, high courts and state service commissions recruit judicial officers in the lower judiciary.

As per the data released on 31 December 2015, there is a vacancy of 4,452 judges in subordinate courts in the country. While the sanctioned strength is 20,502, the actual number of judges and judicial officers in subordinate courts is 16,050.