Chief Minister Hemant Soren has emphasised on the need for reservation in appointments to senior judicial service in a state like Jharkhand, saying that the negligible presence of tribal community in this service was a matter of concern.

The CM also pointed out that over 3,000 undertrials, many of them poor tribals, dalits and members of the weaker sections of society, were languishing in the state's prisons for petty crimes for more than five years and said a system should be devised to tackle this.

"The negligible presence of tribal community in the Superior Judicial Service in the state of Jharkhand is a matter of concern. There is no provision for reservation in the appointment process of this service.

"Since the judges of the Hon'ble High Court are appointed from this service, the position is the same in the High Court. Therefore, I would like that a provision for a reservation should be made in the appointment process of senior judicial service in this tribal-dominated state," Soren said on Wednesday.

He made the remarks in the presence of President Droupadi Murmu, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Supreme Court Justice Aniruddha Bose, Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court Sanjaya Kumar Mishra and others during the inauguration of the new building of the Jharkhand High Court.

The chief minister expressed hope that the high court will prove to be a milestone in the direction of providing simple, accessible, cheap and speedy justice to tribals, dalit, backward and the poor.

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