The judiciary is often regarded as the guardian of democracy, but at present, some concerns over its working have come into sharper focus. The latest controversy involves Justice Yashwant Varma of the Delhi High Court, who has become the face of this crisis. A video surfaced allegedly showing large sums of cash at his residence, with no clear explanation. The public outcry that followed prompted the Chief Justice of India to take action, leading to the formation of a three-judge inquiry panel. As a result, Varma has been relieved of judicial duties and repatriated to the Allahabad High Court. However, this issue extends beyond one individual—it is a stark reminder of the systemic challenges that have plagued the judiciary for years.

Noted commentator, author, and scientist, Dr Anand Ranganathan on X (formerly Twitter) did not hold back, and why should he? On September 21, 2023, he dropped some hard truths: only 12 per cent of high court and Supreme Court judges are women. Not one of the 25 high courts has a female chief justice, and the Supreme Court has never had one either. He went further, pointing out that only 3 per cent of these judges are Dalits, while the SC has never had a judge from the Scheduled Tribes. His concern is clear—if reservations are considered a “moral obligation" in other sectors, why is the judiciary exempt? He calls it hypocrisy.

In another post, he laid out further troubling statistics: 47 million cases pending, just 20 judges per million people, 21 per cent of judicial posts empty, 50 per cent of high court judges related to judicial members, and—get this—Supreme Court judges admitting to corruption. Yet, the power to appoint judges remains solely with the judiciary.

Ranganathan’s assessment is blunt: the judiciary is in crisis, and the collegium system lies at the heart of the problem. He considers the collegium—a system where judges pick their own replacements—to be highly problematic. He........

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