NEW DELHI, 4 Dec: The government on Thursday said that there are currently 4,855 vacancies of judicial officers in district and subordinate courts as against the total sanctioned strength of 25,886.
The total number of cases pending before the subordinate court as on 1 December, 2025, stood at 4,80,42,720.
Replying to supplementaries during question hours in the Rajya Sabha, Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal informed that the total sanctioned strength of judicial officers in district and subordinate courts is 25,886.
Out of the sanctioned strength, he said, there are 4,855 vacancies.
The minister said that the recruitment in district judiciary across 16 states is done by the state public service commission, while in the remaining states, it is being done by the high courts.
Meghwal said the ministry has been writing to state high courts to ensure filling up the vacancies.
“Filling up of vacant positions of the judicial officers in district and subordinate courts is the responsibility of the high courts and state governments concerned. As per the constitutional framework, in exercise of powers conferred under the proviso to Article 309, read with Articles 233 and 234 of the Constitution, the respective state government, in consultation with the high court, frames the rules and regulations regarding the appointment and recruitment of judicial officers,” the minister said.
The Supreme Court, vide order passed in January 2007 in the Malik Mazhar Sultan case, has stipulated certain timelines which are to be followed by the states and the respective high courts for recruitment of judges in district and subordinate courts, he added. (PTI)