Nearly 400 judges’ vacancies in high courts; 75 await government nod

NEW DELHI: Vacancies for judges in India’s 24 high courts breached the 400 mark on February 1, according to statistics provided by the law ministry but were brought down on Saturday with the appointment of five judges to the Karnataka high court.

The latest data released by the ministry’s department of justice showed that 403 of the total 1,079 posts of judges were vacant on February 1, up from 397 a month ago.

“The government has notified the appointment of five additional judges to the Karnataka high court. More appointments are awaiting clearance at different levels,” a law ministry official said on Saturday.

Another official, seeking anonymity, said recommendations and clearances were awaited from both the government and the judiciary.

Appointments to the high courts are made by a three-member Supreme Court collegium, which consists of the three top SC judges, including the Chief Justice of India, who heads the body. NEWDELHI: The aim to create pollution-free firecrackers in time for Diwali this year has got a major boost, with the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali developing a prototype in which there is light and sound, but no smoke, scientists said on Sunday.

Further testing can pave the way for the mass production of crackers that significantly reduce the harmful after-effects