After 4 months, Centre clears two judges for HC

THE APPROVAL OF ONLY TWO OUT OF THE FOUR NAMES HAS REIGNITED CONCERNS ABOUT THE SELECTIVE APPROACH TO JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS

- Utkarsh Anand

NEW DELHI: After a delay of over four months, the Union government on Monday notified the appointment of advocates Ajay Digpaul and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar as judges of the Delhi high court, while the names of two other advocates — Shwetasree Majumdar and Tejas Karia — recommended by the Supreme Court collegium, remain pending.

Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal announced the appointments on X.

The approval of only two out of the four names recommended by the collegium has reignited concerns about the Centre's selective approach to judicial appointments, which has frequently been cited as one of the main reasons for prolonged vacancies in high courts across the country.

With a sanctioned strength of 1,122 judges, high courts nationwide currently face a staggering 33% vacancy rate. Critics, including senior members of the judiciary, have warned that partial acceptance of recommendations disrupts timely judicial appointments, hampering the efficient functioning of courts.

In August 2024, the Supreme Court collegium recommended the names of Ajay Digpaul, Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar, and Shwetasree Majumdar for appointment as judges to the Delhi high court, with a subsequent recommendation for Tejas Karia later that month.