Cabinet nearly trebles salaries of SC, HC judges

NEWDELHI: The monthly salary of the Chief Justice of India has been raised from ₹100,000 to ₹280,000, and those of his fellow judges in the SC and of Chief Justices of the high courts, from ₹90,000 to ₹250,000, in keeping with the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission.

The decisions were cleared by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday and law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government would introduce two bills in Parliament to effect the pay hikes. The decision will also benefit retired judges (whose pensions will now increase), and judges of the high courts.

All told, 25 judges in the Supreme Court (the sanctioned strength is 31), 682 judges in the high courts (the sanctioned strength is 1,079), and around 2,500 retired judges will now see an increase in their monthly salary or pension.

In India, judges are relatively underpaid. Their salaries have increased only three times in 65 years. Judges’ pay were roughly doubled in 1986, trebled in 1998 and trebled once again in 2009,

with retrospective effect from 2006. Although these might seem like hefty raises plus their substantial allowances, the hikes hardly kept pace when adjusted against inflation, and were at a lower rate than the salaries of lawmakers. Their remuneration remains a fraction of what many senior advocates in higher judiciary earn.

The new salaries will be effective from January 1, 2016. Then Chief Justice of India TS Thakur asked the government in 2016 to increase the salaries of judges . Arrears on account of revised salaries, gratuity, pension and family pension with effect from January 2016 will be paid as onetime lump sum payment.