President Droupadi Murmu advocates All India Judicial Service exam for Judges' selection

Droupadi Murmu's address on Constitution day

The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, on November 26, advocated the creation of an All India Judicial Service exam for the selection of judges from across the country.

Murmu noted that an All India examination would provide opportunities for talented candidates from diverse backgrounds to become judges. She made these remarks at the inauguration of the Constitution Day celebrations at the Supreme Court (SC).

She stated, "There can be an All India Judicial Services examination, and those aspiring to be judges can be selected from across the country. I leave it to you (the stakeholders) to analyze how to do this."

Earlier this year, the then Law Minister, Kiren Rijiju, in a parliamentary response, emphasized the government's view that a properly framed All India Judicial Service is crucial to strengthen the overall justice delivery system. This would allow for the induction of suitably qualified fresh legal talent selected through a proper all-India merit selection system, addressing issues of social inclusion by ensuring suitable representation for marginalized and deprived sections of society.

Article 312 of the Constitution provides for the establishment of an All India Judicial Service for posts of district judge and above. The constitutional provision enables the creation of the AIJS at the District Judge level. The proposal for setting up this service has been deliberated in the central government several times in the last decade. In 2017, discussions on the proposal took place in a meeting chaired by the Union Law Minister, Minister of State, Attorney General for India, Solicitor General of India, and other stakeholders.

The proposal was also discussed in a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee in 2017 and the Parliamentary Committee on Welfare in 2021. The response stated, "In view of the existing divergence of opinion among the major stakeholders, at present, there is no consensus on the proposal for setting up an All India Judicial Service."

Constitution Day celebrations at SC:

Earlier in the day, the President unveiled a statue of Dr. B R Ambedkar in the Supreme Court premises on the occasion of Constitution Day. Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud and Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal paid their tributes to the father of the Indian Constitution by folding hands and offering flowers to the over 7-foot tall sculpture.

Speaking at the event, the CJI emphasised that the SC has acted as a "people's court," and citizens should not be afraid to go to court or view it as a last resort. He noted that just as the Constitution allows us to resolve political differences through established democratic institutions and processes, the court system helps in resolving many disagreements through established principles and processes.