Supreme Court ने सरकारी कानूनी पैनलों में महिला वकीलों के लिए 30% आरक्षण पर नोटिस जारी किया

<h2>Key Developments</h2> <ul> <li>The bench comprising <span class="key-term" data-definition="Supreme Court — India's apex judicial body, final interpreter of the Constitution (GS2: Polity)">Supreme Court</span> Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi issued notice to the Union and all states.</li> <li>The notice responds to a <span class="key-term" data-definition="Public Interest Litigation (PIL) — a legal suit filed for the public good, enabling courts to intervene in systemic issues (GS2: Polity)">PIL</span> filed by the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Ladli Foundation Trust — an NGO that filed the petition seeking reservation for women lawyers (GS2: Polity)">Ladli Foundation Trust</span>.</li> <li>The petition seeks a minimum <span class="key-term" data-definition="Reservation — policy of setting aside a percentage of posts for specific groups to ensure representation (GS2: Polity)">30% reservation</span> for women advocates in High Court panels, government law officer posts and Central/State empanelments.</li> <li>The bench asked parties to submit comprehensive material; the case is listed as W.P.(C) No. 471/2026.</li> </ul> <h3>Overview</h3> <p>Senior Advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the petitioner, highlighted a recent survey by the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) — an association of advocates practising before the Supreme Court (GS2: Polity)">Supreme Court Bar Association</span> that documents challenges faced by women lawyers. He argued that even when women are empanelled, they often receive no case assignments, necessitating a mechanism to ensure actual work allocation.</p> <h3>Important Facts</h3> <ul> <li>India has about <strong>1.54 million</strong> enrolled advocates; only <strong>284,507</strong> (≈15.31%) are women.</li> <li>Since 1989, only <strong>11 women</strong> have been appointed to the Supreme Court.</li> <li>No woman has ever held the post of Attorney General for India or Solicitor General of India; similarly, no woman has been appointed as a High Court <span class="key-term" data-definition="Advocate General — the chief legal advisor to a state government (GS2: Polity)">Advocate General</span> or <span class="key-term" data-definition="Senior Additional Advocate General (Sr AAG) — a senior law officer assisting the Advocate General (GS2: Polity)">Senior Additional Advocate General</span>.</li> <li>In Haryana, despite a few women holding the post of Additional Advocate General, they sometimes go a whole month without any case assignments.</li> </ul> <h3>Constitutional Provisions Invoked</h3> <p>The petition invokes <span class="key-term" data-definition="Article 14 — guarantees equality before law and equal protection of the laws (GS2: Polity)">Article 14</span>, <span class="key-term" data-definition="Article 15(3) — permits the State to make special provisions for women (GS2: Polity)">Article 15(3)</span>, <span class="key