Shortage of judges most acute in UP

NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh ranks highest in terms of shortage of judges with 748 posts still to be filled against a sanctioned strength of 2,172 for district courts in the state.

This accounts for more than 28 per cent of nationwide shortage of 2,655 judges against the total sanctioned strength of 14,305 across the country, according to official figures.

In terms of judges' shortage, Uttar Pradesh was followed by Bihar with a figure of 472 against the sanctioned strength 1163 for the state.

Yet further down are Maharashtra with (216), Karnataka (138), West Bengal (110), Rajasthan (106), Madhya Pradesh (106). The remaining states have two-figure shortage.

In states like Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland and union territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli judges worked in full strength.

The judges to population ratio still stood at 13 per ten lakh people against the required 50 judges per ten lakh people in the country.

The onus of filling posts of judges at district level courts lies with state governments and respective high courts and the Centre has written to them that all vacant positions