Former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud has advocated for the establishment of an All-India Judicial Service (AIJS), modeled after the central civil services, to streamline the recruitment of judges for the district judiciary nationwide.

Former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud attended a program organized by Odisha Television Network (OTV) in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. While addressing a question on judicial reforms and live-streaming, he emphasized the urgent need to fill judicial vacancies, particularly in the district judiciary.

He clarified that the recruitment process for the district judiciary is not conducted by the Government of India or the Supreme Court but is overseen by the Governors, in consultation with High Courts, through Public Service Commissions.

“There is about 21% vacancy in the district judiciary today. I think we should consider whether we can introduce an All-India Judicial Service. The AIJS can be brought in basing on the model of central civil services by making necessary modifications. It is too important to introduce the service.”

He also acknowledged the concerns raised by State Governments, noting that the introduction of a central service for district judiciary recruitment could impact federal principles.

“My answer to that is this we should have one common examination for recruitment all over the country. So that you will get the best from across the country. Someone from Tamil Nadu can come to Odisha, somebody from Odisha can go to Meghalaya, somebody from Maharashtra can go to Jammu & Kashmir and someone from Jammu & Kashmir to Gujarat, so that we will really subserve the entire purpose of integrating India into one nation.”

Addressing concerns raised by States regarding the implementation of reservations, the former CJI suggested conducting a common entrance examination, with recruitment based on a merit list while applying the reservation criteria specific to each State. Notably, President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu had also endorsed the idea of introducing AIJS.

During the inaugural session of the Constitution Day celebrations at the Supreme Court in 2023, she proposed a framework to identify and nurture talented individuals from the legal fraternity for judicial roles. She emphasized the need to support young, talented, and dedicated individuals, advocating for an All-India examination for judicial appointments, similar to the selection process for IAS and IPS officers.

"I wish to do something for such children so that they can come here. They're young, talented, energetic, and loyal to the country. For IAS, IPS, there is an all India examination. There can be an All India Judicial Service which can select brilliant young stars and nurture and promote their talent from lower level to higher level. I leave it to your wisdom to devise any effective mechanism that you deem fit to achieve the strengthening of justice delivery system," she had stated.