More SC, ST, OBC judges in district, subordinate courts than higher courts

Lower judiciary not well-represented in proportion to the population in some states like Odisha and West Bengal

The courts have repeatedly upheld caste-based reservations, but the rule does not apply to the judiciary. Although some states have a reservation policy in the lower judiciary, a nationwide analysis shows that social diversity is lagging for certain communities.

A Business Standard analysis of data from July 2022 on the working strength in lower courts found that only 4.9 per cent of the judges in district and subordinate courts belonged to the Scheduled Tribes (ST).

If the reservation criterion were to apply to lower judiciary across the country, the ratio would be 7.5 per cent.

The ratio for Scheduled Castes