{"id":4354,"date":"2026-10-30T10:06:54","date_gmt":"2026-10-30T10:06:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/?p=4354"},"modified":"2026-10-31T10:41:58","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T10:41:58","slug":"collegium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/collegium\/","title":{"rendered":"Collegium"},"content":{"rendered":"<table style=\"font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<blockquote><p><b>SYLLABUS: Indian Polity<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>General Studies \u2013 : II\u00a0<\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><b>IN NEWS:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Concerns over the collegium system<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judicial independence and executive accountability are complementary requirements of a constitutional democracy, but balancing the two in judicial appointments remains a challenge. Discuss.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>ANSWER: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The relationship between <\/span><b>judicial independence<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>executive accountability<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> represents a core structural tension in constitutional democracies. In India, this tension is most visible in the debate over judicial appointments\u2014specifically the shift from executive supremacy to judicial self-selection through the Collegium system, and the ongoing search for a balanced mechanism.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>1. Complementary Requirements of Constitutional Democracy<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Judicial Independence as a Shield:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Rule of Law &amp; Rights Protection:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> An independent judiciary ensures that citizen rights under <\/span><b>Articles 14, 19, and 21<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are defended against state overreach without fear or favor.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Basic Structure Safeguard:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Declared a core feature of the Constitution in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kesavananda Bharati (1973)<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, independence ensures the judiciary remains an uncoerced arbiter of legislative and executive action.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Executive Accountability as a Democratic Mandate:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Popular Sovereignty:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The executive derives authority from the electorate and is directly accountable to Parliament (<\/span><b>Article 75(3)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Institutional Checks:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Broad public appointments\u2014including higher judiciary nominations\u2014traditionally involve the executive to ensure institutional diversity, public representation, and democratic legitimacy.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Mutual Reinforcement:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Independence without accountability runs the risk of opacity and insularity, while accountability without independence threatens the Rule of Law.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>2. The Evolution of Appointments: A Tilted Balance<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The mechanism for appointing judges to the Supreme Court and High Courts under <\/span><b>Articles 124(2) and 217(1)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has undergone significant shifts:<\/span><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Epoch \/ Phase<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Mechanism<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Primary Focus &amp; Impact<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Pre-1993 Era<\/b><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Executive primacy (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">S.P. Gupta, 1981 \/ First Judges Case<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">)<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Consultation&#8221; with the Chief Justice of India (CJI) did not mean concurrence. Gave the executive ultimate veto, leading to controversial supersessions (e.g., 1973 and 1977).<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Collegium Era (1993\u2013Present)<\/b><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judicial primacy (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Second &amp; Third Judges Cases<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">)<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reinterpreted &#8220;consultation&#8221; as &#8220;concurrence.&#8221; Created a judge-led Collegium system to shield appointments from political interference.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><b>99th Amendment &amp; NJAC (2014\u20132015)<\/b><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hybrid Commission (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fourth Judges Case, 2015<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">)<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Proposed the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) combining judicial, executive, and eminent lay members. Struck down by the SC for violating judicial independence.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3><b>3. Core Challenges in Balancing Independence and Accountability<\/b><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The Opacity of Judicial Self-Selection:<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Collegium system remains unique globally, as judges appoint judges without formal legislative or executive concurrence.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Concerns linger regarding a lack of objective criteria, undisclosed evaluation metrics, and limited transparency in candidate selection.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The Threat of Executive Dominance:<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reverting to executive-led selection risks politicizing the bench, undermining public trust in judicial impartiality when assessing government actions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Executive delays in clearing Collegium-recommended names have emerged as an informal veto, leading to prolonged judicial vacancies.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Stalled Memorandum of Procedure (MoP):<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite the Supreme Court agreeing to finalize a revised MoP post-NJAC verdict to improve transparency and set eligibility standards, consensus between the judiciary and the executive remains unresolved.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Lack of Institutional Checks on Merit &amp; Diversity:<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Neither pure Collegium selection nor executive preference guarantees broad social representation, regional balance, or systematic vetting of competence.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>4. Way Forward<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Institutionalizing the Collegium (Short-Term):<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Introduce objective evaluation criteria, public disclosure of selection criteria, a dedicated secretariat, and clear timelines for both Collegium recommendations and executive clearances.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Re-imagining a Broad-Based Commission (Long-Term):<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Formulate a re-designed Judicial Appointments Commission that preserves judicial dominance (e.g., majority judicial composition) while providing structured executive and civil society inputs, addressing the constitutional flaws identified in the NJAC verdict.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Finalizing the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP):<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Establish clear protocols for background checks, time-bound processing of files, and written justifications when candidate names are returned or rejected.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Establishing an All India Judicial Service (AIJS):<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Activate <\/span><b>Article 312<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to create a standardized, merit-based entry system for the lower judiciary, expanding the talent pipeline for future elevation to High Courts and the Supreme Court.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<blockquote><p><b>PYQ REFERENCE UPSC 2025<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q. &#8220;Discuss the evolution of collegium system in India. Critically examine the advantages and disadvantages of the system of appointment of the Judges of the Supreme Court of India and that of the USA.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><b>SOURCE: <a href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/ccidist-ws\/th\/th_international\/issues\/211368\/OPS\/GR8GMOD0O.1+GABGNU9NN.1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Hindu epaper &#8211; Concerns over the collegium system<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SYLLABUS: Indian Polity General Studies \u2013 : II\u00a0 IN NEWS: Concerns over the collegium system QUESTION: Judicial independence and executive 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