Judiciary must assert its independence

The Constitution is the bedrock of Indian democracy. The tussle between the executive and judiciary does not bode well for the constitutional balance between these two pillars of a democratic set-up. The Centre’s decision to clear the names for the high court judgeship and withhold the Supreme Court collegium’s recommendation of 20 names is not in consonance with Article 217 (1) of the Constitution that says, “Every judge of the high court shall be appointed by the President after consultation with the Chief Justice of India.” Judiciary must assert its independence and not let itself become subservient to the powers-that-be. Gurpreet S Malhotra Kansal