Apex court needs more diversity

Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014 and now is in his second term as PM of India. In the last 6 years of his tenure as PM, only one Muslim judge was appointed to the Supreme Court of India. In the 1950s Jawaharlal Nehru tried to get Justice Mohammadali Carim Chagla (Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court 1947-58), appointed as chief justice of the Supreme Court, because he wanted a Muslim Chief Justice of India. However, it took until 1968 for India to have a Muslim Chief Justice. Thirty-six men served on the Supreme Court of India from its inception in 1950 through 1967. Examination of their background reveals that the typical judge was the product of a socially prestigious and economically advantaged Hindu family, and was educated at one of the better Indian universities or in England. They spent almost 20 years in private law practice before the high court in their home state and then served on that same high court. There has been a ‘Muslim seat’ at the Supreme Court since its inception. Post-independence, Justice Fazi Ali (1950-51) was the first Muslim Supreme Court Judge.

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