{"id":3921,"date":"2026-08-26T10:31:35","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T10:31:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/?p=3921"},"modified":"2026-08-28T10:38:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T10:38:44","slug":"collegium-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/collegium-system\/","title":{"rendered":"Collegium System"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><\/h2>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<blockquote><p><b>SYLLABUS: Indian Polity<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>General Studies \u2013 : II <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary\u2014Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal\/informal associations and their role in the Polity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<p><b>IN NEWS:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> End the culture of secrecy in judicial appointments<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The collegium system was evolved to protect judicial independence, but its lack of transparency has raised concerns regarding accountability and equal opportunity. Critically examine. (15 marks, 250 words)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>ANSWER: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>collegium system<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, evolved through the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Second Judges Case (1993)<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Third Judges Case (1998)<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, places the primacy of judicial opinion in appointments and transfers of higher judiciary. It seeks to insulate judges from executive influence and thereby protect <\/span><b>judicial independence<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a basic feature of the Constitution. However, its functioning has also raised concerns regarding transparency, accountability and representational diversity.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Why the Collegium was evolved<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Protection from executive dominance:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The experience of the pre-collegium system raised concerns that excessive executive discretion could influence judicial appointments.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Judicial independence:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Articles <\/span><b>124 and 217<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, read with the judicial interpretation of \u201cconsultation\u201d, established judicial primacy in appointments.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Constitutional supremacy:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> An independent judiciary is essential for enforcing Fundamental Rights and reviewing executive and legislative action.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Institutional self-protection:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Judges are better placed to assess the professional competence, integrity and judicial temperament required for higher judicial office.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Concerns regarding the present system<\/b><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li><b> Lack of transparency<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The criteria for selecting candidates, reasons for rejection and internal deliberations are generally not available in a systematic manner.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although the Supreme Court has begun publishing collegium resolutions, the overall process remains largely opaque.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This creates a perception of <\/span><b>\u201cjudges appointing judges\u201d without adequate public accountability<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li><b> Concerns regarding equal opportunity<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Limited visibility of the selection process can disadvantage deserving candidates who lack access to informal professional networks.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Concerns have been raised regarding the representation of <\/span><b>women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs and other under-represented sections<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the higher judiciary.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diversity is not merely representational; it can enhance public confidence in the judiciary.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li><b> Accountability deficit<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judicial independence cannot mean complete institutional insulation from scrutiny.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unlike the executive, the collegium does not operate through a formally codified and publicly measurable selection framework.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Absence of clear performance and selection benchmarks can generate questions regarding consistency and fairness.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li><b> Possibility of subjectivity<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Personal assessments, professional familiarity and institutional preferences can potentially influence recommendations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The absence of a transparent comparative evaluation mechanism makes it difficult to determine why one candidate is preferred over another.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"5\">\n<li><b> Executive\u2013judiciary friction<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Delays in processing collegium recommendations and disagreements between the Union Government and judiciary have periodically affected appointments.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This can aggravate vacancies and consequently contribute to the judicial pendency problem.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Why replacing the collegium is not a simple solution<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Political influence:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Judicial appointments could become vulnerable to partisan considerations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Threat to checks and balances:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A judiciary dependent on the political executive may be less effective in reviewing governmental action.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Constitutional experience:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The <\/span><b>99th Constitutional Amendment and NJAC Act, 2014<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which sought to replace the collegium, were struck down by the Supreme Court in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association v. Union of India (2015)<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> because judicial independence was considered part of the basic structure.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thus, the challenge is not simply <\/span><b>\u201ccollegium versus executive\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, but how to reconcile <\/span><b>independence with institutional accountability<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Critical assessment<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The collegium&#8217;s greatest strength is that it <\/span><b>protects the judiciary from direct political control<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">; its greatest weakness is that it can appear <\/span><b>insufficiently transparent and accountable<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Excessive opacity may undermine the very public confidence that judicial independence is intended to protect.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Therefore, <\/span><b>judicial independence and accountability should be treated as complementary, not competing, constitutional values<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The solution lies in reforming the collegium rather than weakening judicial primacy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The constitutional objective should be an <\/span><b>independent, transparent, diverse and accountable judiciary<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. A reformed collegium\u2014with objective criteria, institutionalised procedures, greater diversity, reasoned disclosures and a professional secretariat\u2014can preserve the judiciary&#8217;s independence while addressing concerns over opacity and equal opportunity. In essence, <\/span><b>independence should protect judges from political pressure, not from legitimate institutional accountability<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<blockquote><p><b>PYQ REFERENCE UPSC 2017<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q. \u201cCritically examine the Supreme Court\u2019s judgement on the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, 2014 with reference to the principles of judicial independence and accountability.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h6><a href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/ccidist-ws\/th\/th_international\/issues\/201201\/OPS\/GQMGDL8FJ.1+G80GEPNOJ.1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>SOURCE: The Hindu e-paper &#8211; <\/b>End the culture of secrecy in judicial appointments<\/a><\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SYLLABUS: Indian Polity General Studies \u2013 : II Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary\u2014Ministries and Departments 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