English · हिन्दी · తెలుగు · தமிழ் · മലയാളം · मराठी · ಕನ್ನಡ

High Courts, subordinate courts, tribunals and legal services

मराठीत स्पष्टीकरण

Judiciary · Part 2 / 3 · Fact-checked on 15 October 2026 · how we check

Written with AI from the sources listed at the bottom of this page, then fact-checked by a separate AI.

How High Courts are composed and how their judges are appointed, transferred and removed, the writ and supervisory powers of High Courts, the subordinate courts, tribunals under Part XIVA, free legal aid and Lok Adalats.

Each idea is explained first in Marathi (मराठी), ending with the English and Hindi exam terms, followed by the same point in exam English. UPSC Prelims is in English or Hindi, so understand it in Marathi and revise it in English.

पहिल्या भागात शिडीची वरची पायरी पाहिली. आता खाली: प्रत्येक राज्याचे उच्च न्यायालय, जिल्हा न्यायालये, खास वादांसाठी न्यायाधिकरणे, आणि गरिबांना न्यायालयापर्यंत पोहोचवणारी कायदेशीर मदत. सर्वोच्च न्यायालय वर्षाला काही हजार खटलेच निकाली काढते; सामान्य माणूस भेटतो तो खालच्या न्यायालयांनाच — मोठ्या डॉक्टरकडे जाण्याआधी गावच्या डॉक्टरकडे जातो तसे. 214: प्रत्येक राज्यासाठी एक उच्च न्यायालय. 231: दोन किंवा अधिक राज्ये आणि एखाद्या केंद्रशासित प्रदेशासाठी मिळून एकच उच्च न्यायालय — चंदीगडचे पंजाब-हरियाणा उच्च न्यायालय तसे. 230: उच्च न्यायालयाचा अधिकार केंद्रशासित प्रदेशावर संसद वाढवू शकते. कलकत्ता, मुंबई, मद्रास उच्च न्यायालये 1862 मधली. 1 जानेवारी 2019 रोजी आंध्र प्रदेशासाठी स्वतंत्र उच्च न्यायालय सुरू झाल्यापासून एकूण 25. (→ English: High Court · हिन्दी: उच्च न्यायालय)

In exam EnglishPart 1 dealt with the top of the ladder. This part climbs down it: the High Court in each State, the subordinate courts in the districts, the tribunals that take over specialised disputes, and the legal services that help poor people reach any court at all. The Supreme Court decides a few thousand cases a year, but most citizens meet the judiciary lower down. Article 214 says there shall be a High Court for each State, and Article 231 lets Parliament set up a common High Court for two or more States, or for two or more States and a Union Territory, as with the High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh. Under Article 230, Parliament can extend a High Court's jurisdiction to a Union Territory. The oldest High Courts, at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras, were set up in 1862 under the Indian High Courts Act, 1861. Since 1 January 2019, when a separate High Court for Andhra Pradesh began functioning, India has had 25 High Courts.

उच्च न्यायालयात मुख्य न्यायमूर्ती आणि राष्ट्रपती नेमतील तितके इतर न्यायाधीश (216). फरक लक्षात घ्या: सर्वोच्च न्यायालयाची संख्या संसद कायद्याने ठरवते; उच्च न्यायालयाची राष्ट्रपती. नियुक्ती (217): भारताचे सरन्यायाधीश, राज्याचे राज्यपाल आणि त्या उच्च न्यायालयाचे मुख्य न्यायमूर्ती यांच्याशी सल्लामसलत करून राष्ट्रपती नेमतात. 1998 च्या निकालानुसार उच्च न्यायालयाच्या कॉलेजियमने नावे सुचवल्यावर, सरन्यायाधीश आणि दोन ज्येष्ठ सर्वोच्च न्यायालय न्यायाधीश यांचे कॉलेजियम शिफारस करते — घरात स्थळ पाहिल्यावर वडीलधारी पक्के करतात तसे. पात्रता: नागरिक + दहा वर्षे न्यायिक पद किंवा दहा वर्षे उच्च न्यायालयात वकिली; विधिज्ञ मार्ग नाही. निवृत्तीचे वय 62 (15 वी दुरुस्ती, 1963, 60 वरून वाढवले); शपथ राज्यपालांसमोर (219). (→ English: collegium · हिन्दी: कॉलेजियम)

In exam EnglishA High Court consists of a Chief Justice and such other judges as the President may from time to time appoint (Article 216). Note the contrast with the Supreme Court: there Parliament fixes the number by law, here the President decides. Under Article 217, a High Court judge is appointed by the President after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, the Governor of the State and, for judges other than the Chief Justice, the Chief Justice of that High Court. Under the Third Judges case (1998), recommendations are made through a collegium of the Chief Justice of India and the two senior-most Supreme Court judges, after the High Court's own collegium proposes names. A candidate must be a citizen and must have held a judicial office in India for ten years, or been an advocate of a High Court for ten years; there is no distinguished-jurist route. A judge serves until 62, an age raised from 60 by the 15th Amendment (1963), and takes the oath before the Governor (Article 219).

उच्च न्यायालयाच्या न्यायाधीशाला काढण्याची पद्धत सर्वोच्च न्यायालयाच्या न्यायाधीशासारखीच: संसदेच्या दोन्ही सभागृहांच्या ठरावानंतर राष्ट्रपतींचा आदेश; राज्य विधिमंडळाला यात भूमिका नाही. 222: सरन्यायाधीशांचा सल्ला घेऊन राष्ट्रपती एका उच्च न्यायालयातून दुसऱ्यात बदली करू शकतात. 223: मुख्य न्यायमूर्तींचे पद रिकामे असल्यास कार्यवाहक मुख्य न्यायमूर्ती. 224: प्रलंबित खटल्यांसाठी दोन वर्षांपर्यंत अतिरिक्त न्यायाधीश; कोणी गैरहजर असल्यास कार्यवाहक न्यायाधीश. 224A: निवृत्त न्यायाधीशाला पुन्हा बसण्याची विनंती. सणाच्या गर्दीत दुकानात जास्तीचे कामगार ठेवतात तसे. निवृत्तीनंतर (220): सर्वोच्च न्यायालयात आणि इतर उच्च न्यायालयांत वकिली करता येते; स्वतः काम केलेल्या उच्च न्यायालयात आणि खालच्या न्यायालयांत नाही. (→ English: transfer of judges · हिन्दी: न्यायाधीशों का अंतरण)

In exam EnglishA High Court judge is removed in the same way as a Supreme Court judge, by the President after an address by both Houses of Parliament under the procedure of Article 124(4); a State legislature has no role. Under Article 222, the President may transfer a judge from one High Court to another after consulting the Chief Justice of India. When the office of Chief Justice of a High Court is vacant, the President appoints an acting Chief Justice (Article 223). To clear arrears, the President may appoint additional judges for up to two years, and acting judges when a permanent judge is absent (Article 224); under Article 224A, the Chief Justice of a High Court, with the President's previous consent, may request a retired judge to sit again. Article 220 sets a narrower post-retirement bar than for the Supreme Court: a retired permanent High Court judge cannot plead or act in any court or before any authority in India except the Supreme Court and the other High Courts.

Supreme Court and High Court judges compared
	Supreme Court judge	High Court judge
Number fixed by	Parliament by law (Article 124(1))	The President (Article 216)
Consulted on appointment	Judges the President thinks necessary; always the CJI (Article 124(2))	CJI, Governor and the High Court Chief Justice (Article 217)
Distinguished jurist route	Yes	No
Retirement age	65	62
Oath before	The President or a person appointed by the President	The Governor or a person appointed by the Governor (Article 219)
Practice after retirement	Barred in every court in India (Article 124(7))	Allowed only in the Supreme Court and other High Courts (Article 220)
Removal	Article 124(4)	Same manner as a Supreme Court judge

अनुच्छेद 226 नुसार उच्च न्यायालय आपल्या क्षेत्रातील कोणालाही, सरकारलासुद्धा, प्राधिलेख काढू शकते — केवळ मूलभूत हक्कांसाठी नव्हे तर 'इतर कोणत्याही प्रयोजनासाठी', म्हणजे सामान्य कायदेशीर हक्कांसाठीही. म्हणूनच उच्च न्यायालयाचा प्राधिलेख अधिकार सर्वोच्च न्यायालयाच्या अनुच्छेद 32 च्या अधिकारापेक्षा व्यापक आहे. पण एक फरक: 32 खाली सर्वोच्च न्यायालयात जाण्याचा हक्क स्वतःच एक मूलभूत हक्क आहे; 226 खालील दिलासा उच्च न्यायालयाच्या विवेकावर. उदाहरण: वीज मंडळाने एका ठेकेदाराचा परवाना त्याचे म्हणणे न ऐकता रद्द केला — मूलभूत हक्क नसला तरी उच्च न्यायालय तो आदेश रद्द करू शकते. मोठे जाळे टाकले की लहान मासेही अडकतात. सर्वोच्च न्यायालयाप्रमाणे प्रत्येक उच्च न्यायालयही अभिलेख न्यायालय आहे, अवमानाबद्दल शिक्षा करू शकते (215). (→ English: writ · हिन्दी: रिट)

In exam EnglishArticle 226 gives every High Court power to issue directions, orders or writs, including habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto and certiorari, to any person or authority, including a government, within its territories. It may do so for the enforcement of Fundamental Rights 'and for any other purpose', meaning the enforcement of ordinary legal rights as well. That is why a High Court's writ jurisdiction is wider than the Supreme Court's under Article 32, which is limited to Fundamental Rights. There is a difference in nature too: the right to move the Supreme Court under Article 32 is itself a Fundamental Right, while relief under Article 226 is discretionary. Suppose a State electricity board cancels a contractor's licence without giving him a hearing: no Fundamental Right may be involved, but the High Court can still quash the order under Article 226. Like the Supreme Court, every High Court is a court of record with power to punish for contempt of itself (Article 215).

227: सशस्त्र दलांची न्यायालये सोडून, आपल्या क्षेत्रातील सर्व न्यायालये आणि न्यायाधिकरणांवर उच्च न्यायालयाचे अधीक्षण — मुख्याध्यापक सर्व वर्गांवर देखरेख ठेवतात तसे. 228: खालच्या न्यायालयातील खटल्यात संविधानाच्या अर्थाचा प्रश्न असेल तर उच्च न्यायालय तो खटला आपल्याकडे मागवते. एल. चंद्र कुमार खटला (1997): न्यायाधिकरणांच्या कायद्यांनी उच्च न्यायालयांचा अधिकार वगळण्याचा प्रयत्न केला. सात न्यायाधीशांच्या खंडपीठाने सांगितले — 226, 227 खाली उच्च न्यायालयांचा आणि 32 खाली सर्वोच्च न्यायालयाचा न्यायालयीन पुनर्विलोकनाचा अधिकार संविधानाच्या मूलभूत संरचनेचा भाग आहे, तो काढता येत नाही; म्हणून न्यायाधिकरणांच्या निर्णयांविरुद्ध उच्च न्यायालयाच्या खंडपीठाकडे जाता येते. (→ English: judicial review · हिन्दी: न्यायिक पुनर्विलोकन)

In exam EnglishArticle 227 gives every High Court superintendence over all courts and tribunals in its territory, except those constituted under laws relating to the armed forces. It can call for returns, make general rules and prescribe forms for their practice and procedure. Under Article 228, if a High Court is satisfied that a case pending in a subordinate court involves a substantial question of law as to the interpretation of the Constitution, it withdraws the case and either decides it or decides the constitutional question and sends the case back. The importance of these powers came out in L. Chandra Kumar v. Union of India (1997). Laws on tribunals had tried to exclude the jurisdiction of High Courts. A seven-judge bench held that the power of judicial review of the High Courts under Articles 226 and 227, and of the Supreme Court under Article 32, is part of the basic structure of the Constitution and cannot be excluded; decisions of tribunals can therefore be challenged before a division bench of the High Court.

उच्च न्यायालयाखाली जिल्हा आणि कनिष्ठ न्यायालये (233–237). जिल्हा न्यायाधीशाची नियुक्ती उच्च न्यायालयाशी सल्लामसलत करून राज्यपाल करतात; बाहेरून येणारा किमान सात वर्षे वकील असावा आणि उच्च न्यायालयाने त्याची शिफारस करावी. इतर न्यायिक अधिकाऱ्यांची नियुक्ती राज्य लोकसेवा आयोग आणि उच्च न्यायालय यांच्याशी सल्लामसलत करून केलेल्या नियमांनुसार राज्यपाल करतात. बदली, बढती, रजा — हे सगळे नियंत्रण उच्च न्यायालयाचे (235), राज्य सरकारचे नाही. मुलांचे गुण शाळा देते, गावचे सरपंच नाही — तसे. जिल्ह्यात जिल्हा न्यायाधीश दिवाणी खटले, आणि सत्र न्यायाधीश म्हणून गंभीर फौजदारी खटले ऐकतात; खाली दिवाणी न्यायाधीश आणि न्यायदंडाधिकारी. सत्र न्यायालयाने दिलेली फाशी उच्च न्यायालयाने पुष्टी केल्याशिवाय अमलात येत नाही. (→ English: district judge · हिन्दी: जिला न्यायाधीश)

In exam EnglishBelow the High Court are the subordinate courts (Articles 233 to 237). A district judge is appointed, posted and promoted by the Governor in consultation with the High Court; a person not already in service must have been an advocate or pleader for at least seven years and be recommended by the High Court (Article 233). Other members of the State judicial service are appointed by the Governor under rules made after consulting the State Public Service Commission and the High Court (Article 234). Control over district and subordinate courts, including posting, promotion and leave of judicial officers, is vested in the High Court (Article 235). This keeps the lower judiciary out of the hands of the State government, in line with Article 50. In each district, the district judge hears civil cases and, as sessions judge, serious criminal cases; below are civil judges and judicial magistrates. A death sentence passed by a Sessions Court cannot be carried out unless the High Court confirms it.

खास वादांसाठी सामान्य न्यायालये संथ असतात, म्हणून 42 व्या दुरुस्तीने (1976) न्यायाधिकरणांवर भाग XIVA जोडला. 323A: सरकारी कर्मचाऱ्यांची भरती आणि सेवाशर्तींच्या वादांसाठी प्रशासकीय न्यायाधिकरणे — ही फक्त संसद स्थापू शकते; 1985 च्या कायद्याखाली केंद्रीय प्रशासकीय न्यायाधिकरण (CAT) आणि राज्य न्यायाधिकरणे. 323B: कर, परकीय चलन, औद्योगिक-कामगार वाद, जमीन सुधारणा, शहरी मालमत्तेची कमाल मर्यादा, निवडणुका, अन्नधान्य, भाडे अशा विषयांसाठी — संसद आणि राज्य विधिमंडळे दोघेही स्थापू शकतात. डोळ्यांच्या त्रासासाठी नेत्रतज्ज्ञाकडे जातो तसे, खास वादासाठी खास मंच. न्यायालयांचा अधिकार वगळण्याची तरतूद असली तरी 1997 च्या चंद्र कुमार निकालामुळे उच्च न्यायालयाचे पुनर्विलोकन अनिवार्य. 2021 च्या कायद्याने काही अपील न्यायाधिकरणे रद्द करून काम उच्च न्यायालये आणि इतर संस्थांकडे दिले. (→ English: tribunal · हिन्दी: अधिकरण)

In exam EnglishOrdinary courts are slow for specialised disputes, so the 42nd Amendment (1976) added Part XIVA on tribunals. Article 323A lets Parliament alone set up administrative tribunals for disputes about recruitment and conditions of service of persons in the public services of the Union, the States, local authorities and government-controlled corporations. Parliament did so through the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, under which the Central Administrative Tribunal and State Administrative Tribunals work. Article 323B lets both Parliament and the State legislatures, within their own legislative fields, set up tribunals for other matters, such as taxation, foreign exchange, industrial and labour disputes, land reforms, ceilings on urban property, elections to Parliament and State legislatures, foodstuffs, and rent and tenancy. Both articles allowed laws to exclude the jurisdiction of courts other than the Supreme Court under Article 136, but L. Chandra Kumar (1997) made tribunals subject to High Court review. The Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021 later abolished several appellate tribunals and moved their work to High Courts and other bodies.

वकिलाला पैसे नसतील तर न्यायालयात जाण्याचा हक्क असूनही उपयोग नाही. 39A (42 व्या दुरुस्तीने, 1976 जोडलेले मार्गदर्शक तत्त्व): आर्थिक किंवा इतर अडचणींमुळे कोणालाही न्याय नाकारला जाऊ नये, शासनाने मोफत विधी सहाय्य द्यावे. यासाठी विधी सेवा प्राधिकरण कायदा, 1987 — 9 नोव्हेंबर 1995 पासून लागू; तो दिवस राष्ट्रीय विधी सेवा दिन. राष्ट्रीय पातळीवर NALSA (मुख्य आश्रयदाते भारताचे सरन्यायाधीश), मग राज्य, जिल्हा, तालुका पातळीवरील संस्था. कोणाला मोफत? अनुसूचित जाती-जमातींचे सदस्य, स्त्रिया, मुले, दिव्यांग, मानवी तस्करीचे बळी, आपत्तीग्रस्त, औद्योगिक कामगार, कोठडीतील व्यक्ती, कमी उत्पन्न असलेले. सरकारी रुग्णालयातील मोफत उपचारासारखा हा मोफत न्याय. (→ English: free legal aid · हिन्दी: निःशुल्क विधिक सहायता)

In exam EnglishA right to approach the courts means little to someone who cannot pay a lawyer. Article 39A, a Directive Principle added by the 42nd Amendment (1976), asks the State to secure that the legal system promotes justice on the basis of equal opportunity and to provide free legal aid, so that no citizen is denied justice because of economic or other disabilities. Parliament gave this effect through the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, which came into force on 9 November 1995; that date is observed as National Legal Services Day. The Act creates a chain of bodies: the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), with the Chief Justice of India as Patron-in-Chief, State Legal Services Authorities, District Legal Services Authorities and Taluk Legal Services Committees. Section 12 lists who is entitled to free legal services, among them members of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, women and children, persons with disabilities, victims of trafficking, of mass disasters or of ethnic violence, industrial workmen, persons in custody, and people whose income is below a prescribed limit.

त्याच कायद्याने लोक अदालत आणली — म्हणजे लोकांचे न्यायालय; इथे वादविवाद नाही, तडजोड. गावचे वडीलधारी दोन्ही बाजूंना बसवून मिटवामिटवी करतात तसे. न्यायालयात प्रलंबित खटला किंवा न्यायालयात जाण्याआधीचा वाद घेता येतो; पण कायद्यानुसार तडजोडयोग्य नसलेले गुन्हे नाहीत. तडजोड झाली तर निवाडा दिवाणी न्यायालयाच्या हुकूमनाम्यासारखा, सर्वांवर अंतिम, त्याविरुद्ध कोणत्याही न्यायालयात अपील नाही. न्यायालयीन शुल्क नाही; प्रलंबित खटला मिटला तर भरलेले शुल्क परत मिळते. उदाहरण: शेतकरी आणि बँक वर्षानुवर्षे कर्जावरून भांडत असतील तर एका दिवसात तडजोड. 2002 ची दुरुस्ती: वाहतूक, टपाल, दूरध्वनी, वीज, पाणीपुरवठा, रुग्णालये अशा सार्वजनिक उपयोगी सेवांसाठी कायम लोक अदालत — तडजोड फसली तर त्याच निर्णय देऊ शकतात. (→ English: Lok Adalat · हिन्दी: लोक अदालत)

In exam EnglishThe same Act set up the Lok Adalat, literally a people's court, which settles disputes by compromise rather than by a contested trial. Legal services authorities organise Lok Adalats with serving or retired judicial officers and other persons as members. A Lok Adalat can take up a case pending in a court, or a dispute before it reaches court, but it cannot deal with an offence that is not compoundable under law. If the parties settle, the award is deemed to be a decree of a civil court, it is final and binding on all parties, and no appeal lies against it in any court. No court fee is charged, and if a case pending in court is settled, the court fee already paid is refunded. Suppose a farmer and a bank have argued for years over a loan: a Lok Adalat can bring them to an agreed settlement in a day. A 2002 amendment added Permanent Lok Adalats for public utility services such as transport, post, telephone, power, water supply and hospitals; if conciliation fails there, they can decide the dispute on merits.

दोन्ही भाग एकत्र केले की पूर्ण शिडी दिसते. वर सर्वोच्च न्यायालय — संविधानाचा अर्थ, त्याचा निकाल सर्व न्यायालयांवर बंधनकारक. मध्ये उच्च न्यायालय — क्षेत्रातील न्यायालये, न्यायाधिकरणांवर अधीक्षण, कोणत्याही प्रयोजनासाठी प्राधिलेख, कनिष्ठ न्यायपालिकेवर नियंत्रण. तळाशी जिल्हा, सत्र न्यायालये, दंडाधिकारी — बहुतेक खटले इथेच. बाजूला न्यायाधिकरणे (उच्च न्यायालयाच्या पुनर्विलोकनाखाली) आणि तडजोडीसाठी लोक अदालत. मोफत विधी सहाय्य (39A) — फक्त पैसेवाल्यांनीच नव्हे, कोणीही ही शिडी चढू शकावे. बसमध्ये ज्येष्ठ आणि मुलांना तिकिटात सवलत देतात तसे. सर्वोच्च आणि उच्च न्यायालय न्यायाधीशांमधील फरक लक्षात ठेवा: संख्या कोण ठरवते, विधिज्ञ मार्ग, निवृत्तीचे वय, शपथ कोणासमोर, निवृत्तीनंतर कुठे वकिली करता येते. (→ English: judiciary · हिन्दी: न्यायपालिका)

In exam EnglishPutting the two parts together gives the whole ladder. At the top, the Supreme Court interprets the Constitution and its law binds every court. In the middle, each High Court supervises all courts and tribunals in its territory, issues writs for Fundamental Rights and for any other purpose, and controls the subordinate judiciary. At the base, district and sessions courts and magistrates handle most civil and criminal cases. Beside the ladder stand tribunals for specialised disputes, still subject to High Court review after L. Chandra Kumar, and Lok Adalats for settlement by consent. Free legal aid under Article 39A tries to make sure that the ladder can be climbed by anyone, not only by those who can pay. Remember the main contrasts between Supreme Court and High Court judges: who fixes their number, the jurist route, the retirement age, before whom they take the oath, and where they may practise after retirement. Part 3 turns to judicial review, judicial activism and public interest litigation.

Exam traps

The President, not Parliament, fixes the number of High Court judges (Article 216); for the Supreme Court it is Parliament.
There is no 'distinguished jurist' route to a High Court; it exists only for the Supreme Court.
High Court judges retire at 62 (15th Amendment, 1963), Supreme Court judges at 65.
A High Court judge is removed by Parliament's address to the President, never by the State legislature or the Governor.
Article 226 is wider than Article 32 (any other purpose), but Article 32 is itself a Fundamental Right while Article 226 relief is discretionary.
Tribunals under Article 323A can be set up only by Parliament; under Article 323B by Parliament and State legislatures.
A Lok Adalat award is final and no appeal lies against it; it cannot settle offences that are not compoundable.
District judges are appointed by the Governor in consultation with the High Court, not by the High Court alone or by the State Public Service Commission.

Recap

A High Court for each State (Article 214); common High Courts allowed (Article 231); 25 High Courts since 1 January 2019.
Number of judges fixed by the President (Article 216); appointment after consulting the CJI, the Governor and the High Court Chief Justice (Article 217), through the collegium.
Qualifications: ten years in judicial office or as a High Court advocate; no jurist route; retirement at 62; oath before the Governor.
Removal as for a Supreme Court judge; transfer by the President after consulting the CJI (Article 222); additional, acting and retired judges (Articles 223–224A).
Article 226 writs for Fundamental Rights and any other purpose; superintendence (Article 227); L. Chandra Kumar (1997) protects High Court review.
Subordinate courts (Articles 233–237): Governor appoints district judges in consultation with the High Court, which controls the lower judiciary.
Tribunals (Part XIVA, 42nd Amendment): Article 323A by Parliament only, Article 323B by Parliament and States; Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021.
Free legal aid (Article 39A) under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987; Lok Adalat awards are final civil decrees with no appeal.

Practice questions

Q1. Consider the following statements about the qualifications of a judge of a High Court:
1. A person who is a distinguished jurist in the opinion of the President is eligible.
2. A person who has held a judicial office in India for ten years is eligible.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

Show answer

Answer: B. 2 only

Statement 2 matches Article 217(2)(a). Statement 1 is wrong: the jurist category exists only for the Supreme Court (Article 124(3)). So '1 only', 'both' and 'neither' are wrong.

Q2. Who determines the number of judges of a High Court?

Parliament, by law
The State Legislature
The President
The Governor in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court

Show answer

Answer: C. The President

Article 216 says a High Court consists of a Chief Justice and such other judges as the President may from time to time appoint. Parliament fixes the number only for the Supreme Court; the State Legislature and the Governor have no power over the strength of a High Court.

Q3. The retirement age of High Court judges was raised from 60 to 62 years by which constitutional amendment?

15th Amendment, 1963
42nd Amendment, 1976
44th Amendment, 1978
99th Amendment, 2014

Show answer

Answer: A. 15th Amendment, 1963

The Constitution (Fifteenth Amendment) Act, 1963 raised the age to 62. The 42nd Amendment added Part XIVA on tribunals and Article 39A; the 44th Amendment dealt mainly with emergency safeguards and the right to property; the 99th Amendment created the NJAC.

Q4. Consider the following statements:
1. A High Court can issue writs under Article 226 for purposes other than the enforcement of Fundamental Rights.
2. The right to move a High Court under Article 226 is itself a Fundamental Right.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

Show answer

Answer: A. 1 only

Statement 1 is correct: Article 226 covers 'any other purpose'. Statement 2 is wrong: it is the right to move the Supreme Court under Article 32 that is a Fundamental Right; relief under Article 226 is discretionary. So '2 only', 'both' and 'neither' are wrong.

Q5. With reference to tribunals under Part XIVA of the Constitution, consider the following statements:
1. Administrative tribunals under Article 323A can be established only by Parliament.
2. Tribunals under Article 323B can be established by Parliament as well as by State legislatures.
3. In L. Chandra Kumar v. Union of India (1997), the Supreme Court held that decisions of tribunals cannot be challenged before High Courts.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3

Show answer

Answer: A. 1 and 2 only

Statements 1 and 2 follow the text of Articles 323A and 323B. Statement 3 reverses the judgment: L. Chandra Kumar held that High Court review under Articles 226 and 227 is part of the basic structure, so tribunal decisions can be challenged before a division bench of the High Court. Options containing 3 are therefore wrong.

Q6. Consider the following statements about Lok Adalats under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987:
1. An award of a Lok Adalat is deemed to be a decree of a civil court.
2. An appeal against an award of a Lok Adalat lies to the District Court.
3. When a pending case is settled in a Lok Adalat, the court fee already paid is refunded.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3

Show answer

Answer: C. 1 and 3 only

Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Statement 2 is wrong: the award is final and binding on all parties and no appeal lies against it in any court. So every option containing 2 is wrong.

Q7. Who appoints a district judge in a State?

The President, after consulting the Chief Justice of India
The Governor, in consultation with the High Court
The Chief Justice of the High Court alone
The State Public Service Commission

Show answer

Answer: B. The Governor, in consultation with the High Court

Article 233 vests the appointment, posting and promotion of district judges in the Governor, in consultation with the High Court. The President appoints High Court and Supreme Court judges, not district judges; the High Court is consulted but does not appoint alone; the State Public Service Commission is consulted only for other judicial posts under Article 234.

Q8. Under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, which of the following persons are entitled to free legal services?
1. A woman
2. A member of a Scheduled Caste
3. A person in custody
Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3

Show answer

Answer: D. 1, 2 and 3

Section 12 of the Act lists women and children, members of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and persons in custody among those entitled, along with others such as persons with disabilities and people below an income limit. Since all three are covered, every option leaving one out is wrong.

← Part 1 All parts Next: Part 3 →

Study this in the Upscore app to keep notes, save it for revision, track your practice scores and follow a plan to the exam date. It's free.

Study this in the app →

Sources

Constitution of India, Articles 32, 39A, 50, 124, 214–237, 323A and 323B — https://legislative.gov.in/constitution-of-india/
Indian High Courts Act, 1861; Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985; Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 (as amended in 2002); Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021; Code of Criminal Procedure and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (confirmation of death sentences) — https://www.indiacode.nic.in
Supreme Court of India: In re Special Reference No. 1 of 1998; L. Chandra Kumar v. Union of India (1997) — https://digiscr.sci.gov.in