Supreme Court, High Court judges to get nearly 200% salary hike

Supreme Court and high court judges are to get a nearly two-fold salary hike with president Ram Nath Kovind giving his assent to a bill passed by Parliament in this regard.

The chief justice of India will now get a monthly salary of Rs2.80 lakh, up from the present Rs1 lakh.

Judges of the Supreme Court and chief justices of high courts will draw a monthly salary of Rs2.50 lakh, up from the current Rs90,000, according to the Act notified by the law ministry.

The judges of high courts, who get Rs80,000 per month now, will now draw Rs2.25 lakh per month, according to the bill.

The salary hike, which is in line with the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission for officers of all-India services, will apply retrospectively from 1 January, 2016.

Under the High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Act, 2018, the rates of house rent allowance with effect from 1 July, 2017 will also be revised as also the rates of sumptuary allowance with effect from 22 September, 2017.

In 2016, the then Chief Justice of India, TS Thakur, had written to the government seeking a hike in the salaries of Supreme Court and high court judges.

The revised salaries are in addition to perks such as official residence, cars, staff and allowances. Also the CJI's monthly sumptuary allowance has been hiked from Rs20,000 to Rs45,000, and that of other Apex Court judges and chief justices of High Courts from Rs15,000 to Rs34,000, and that of the High Court judges from Rs12,000 to Rs27,000.