Organisations working for social justice for the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) have urged the government to enforce reservation in the higher judiciary given the poor social diversity among judges.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal had said those recommended as high court judges had been providing details of their social background since 2018.

"...Out of 684 high court judges appointed since 2018, 21 belong to the SC category, 14 belong to the ST category, 82 belong to OBC category and 37 belong to minorities. As of 31.10.2024, two women judges are working in the Supreme Court and 106 in various high courts," the minister said.

DMK member P. Wilson had wanted to know the details of social diversity among high court and Supreme Court judges.

The names of the judges in the higher judiciary are recommended by a collegium and approved by the government. There is no reservation in such appointments.

"The government has been requesting the chief justices of high courts that while sending proposals for the appointment of judges, due consideration be given to suitable candidates belonging to the SC, ST, OBC categories, minorities and women to ensure social diversity in the appointment of judges in high courts," Meghwal said.

Ashok Bharti, chairman of the National Confederation of Dalit & Adivasi Organisations (NACDAOR), said the government must enact a law soon to enforce reservation in the higher judiciary.

"According to this (government) data, only 3 per cent of judges are SCs, 2 per cent are STs and 12 per cent are OBCs. It means the higher judiciary has become an exclusive club of upper castes. Unless a law is enacted, the judiciary will not take suo motu corrective action," Bharti said.

G. Karunanidhy, secretary of the All India Other Backward Classes Employees Federation, said: "The Supreme Court collegium recently highlighted the importance of social diversity in the higher judiciary. All the political parties are in favour of it. But the government's mere suggestion to the judiciary to take affirmative action is certainly not working. The government should pass an executive order in the same way the order for 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in government jobs was issued," he said.