District Judges’ Retirement Age: 14 States Agree to Raise It to 62

Fourteen states have so far agreed to raise the retirement age of district judicial officers from 60 to 62, a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant was told on Monday, 26 October. The bench, which also included Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, said it was “hopeful that others will also follow” and refused to list individual petitions from judges who are retiring, according to reports by PTI and The Tribune.

Retiring Judges Cannot Move Court One by One

Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar asked for urgent listing, saying judicial officers retire every day. The bench declined. “This pertains to the persuasive jurisdiction of this court. The issue is between the Supreme Court and the states,” it said. The Tribune reported that the Chief Justice disapproved of judicial officers approaching the court individually on the question.

Seven States Were Told to Change Rules in September

In an order in September, the court directed Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal to amend their service rules, preferably within two months, so that officers can serve until 62, subject to a suitability assessment by the High Court. Until the rules change, no officer in those states who reaches 60 retires before 62, The Tribune reported. Officers who retired on or after 31 March 2026 may opt to rejoin if they have not taken other government employment.

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The court also asked 24 other states and Union Territories to reconsider. Punjab has told the court the current age of 60 is “legally valid”, and Haryana has repeated its opposition, though the Punjab and Haryana High Court favours 62, The Tribune reported. Assam, Bihar, Kerala, Manipur, Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are also listed as opposed, while several other states are said to be considering the proposal. The reports do not name the other seven states among the 14 that have agreed.

A Quarter of Judgeships Lie Empty

The Tribune reported that about 24% of the 30,868 sanctioned judgeships in subordinate courts across India are vacant. Two more years of service for officers now reaching 60 would keep experienced judges on the bench while those posts remain unfilled. The court recently also told states and High Courts to provide bar rooms and washrooms for women lawyers in district and taluka courts.

No Hearing Date Given for the Other States

None of the reports gives a date for the next hearing. For now the matter rests with the 24 governments and territories that were asked to reconsider, and the court has said it will not take up individual pleas urgently. More court reports are in the Daily Updates section.

Source: Based on reporting by The Tribune and ThePrint (PTI).

Image: Supreme Court of India / Wikimedia Commons.