77% of High Court judges appointed since 2018 from upper castes: Law Ministry to Parliament
New Delhi: The Ministry of Law and Justice recently informed the Parliament that around 77 percent (551 out of 715) of all High Court judges appointed since 2018 were from upper caste communities.
In response to a question from Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Kumar Jha regarding diversity in the judiciary, Law Minister Arjun Kumar Meghwal said, “Out of 715 High Court Judges appointed since 2018, 22 belong to SC category, 16 belong to ST category, 89 belong to OBC category, and 37 belong to minorities.”
The ministry pointed out that as per the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP), the responsibility for initiation of proposals for appointment of Judges in the Supreme Court vests with the Chief Justice of India, while the responsibility for initiation of proposals for appointment of Judges in the High Courts vests with the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court.
“Only those persons who are recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium, are appointed as Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts,” it added.
However, the ministry shared that the government has been requesting the chief justices of High Courts to give due consideration to “suitable candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, minorities and women to ensure social diversity in the appointment of judges in High Courts.”
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Thiruvananthapuram: Fathima Thahiliya, a 34-year-old advocate, has won the Perambra Assembly constituency, defeating CPI(M) leader T.P. Ramakrishnan by 5,087 votes. She secured 81,429 votes in a closely contested election.
Thahiliya is a postgraduate in law from the University of Calicut. She began her journey in student politics and rose through the ranks of the Muslim Students Federation before entering mainstream politics. She later served as a councillor in the Kozhikode Corporation and is currently practising at the Calicut District Court.
She completed her B.A. LL.B from Government Law College, Kozhikode, and LL.M from Government Law College, Thrissur. She also serves as State Secretary of the Muslim Youth League.
Her candidature was among the few women candidates backed by the party and drew attention in a constituency considered a Left stronghold.
Soon after her candidacy was publicized, she faced intense cyber harassment, with her social media flooded with sexually explicit and derogatory remarks. She was abused and targeted for her identity as a young Muslim woman wearing a hijab, questioning her ability to contest elections.
Another controversy erupted during the campaign over the “Kauminte Kutti” remark, after allegations that campaign messages linked to the Left Democratic Front portrayed her as a “community candidate,” triggering political backlash and complaints to the Election Commission.
