Gender Imbalance in the Higher Judiciary: A Crisis of Representation and Credibility
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Indian Polity and Governance (Judiciary - Supreme Court, Appointment of Judges, Collegium System).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 1 (Society): Role of women and women's organization; Social empowerment.
General Studies Paper 2 (Polity & Governance): Structure, organization and functioning of the Judiciary; Appointment to various Constitutional posts; Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections (Women).
Key Highlights from the News
The low representation of women in the Supreme Court, India's highest court, remains a major crisis.
Since the Supreme Court was established in 1950, only 11 of the 287 judges appointed to date have been women (3.8%).
Currently, in the Supreme Court with 34 judges, Justice B.V. Nagarathna is the only woman judge.
Justice Nagarathna's dissent against the recent Collegium appointment, which overlooked senior women judges, highlights the seriousness of this issue.
Main Reasons:
Opaque Collegium process.
Gender not officially considered a primary factor in appointment criteria.
Insufficient opportunities for women advocates to become judges.
Delayed appointment of women as judges reduces their opportunity to reach the Collegium or become Chief Justice.
The article argues that increasing women's representation in the judiciary is essential to provide diverse perspectives, enhance public trust, and make the court more representative.
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