Women Excel in Merit Exams, Yet Underrepresented in Higher Judiciary: SC Judge

• Justice Ujjal Bhuyan highlights women's success in merit-based judicial selections (over 50% in state posts) but limited representation in Supreme Court and High Courts.
• Questions why women don't make the grade when assessment becomes subjective in the collegium system, citing only 11 women judges out of 287 in SC since 1950.
• Notes women constitute only about 14% of High Court judges, with only two women Chief Justices across 25 HCs.
• Research indicates more women enter the judiciary when recruitment processes are objective, advocating for greater gender parity for 'Viksit Bharat by 2047'.
• Former CJI B R Gavai acknowledges judiciary's challenges: pending cases, delays, lack of transparency, and low representation of women in constitutional courts.