President Ram Nath Kovind today signed a bill passed by the parliament during the winter session to hike salaries of Supreme Court and High Court judges. They will now be paid at par with bureaucrats as per recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission.
The Chief Justice of India’s salary will now increase from Rs. 1 lakh presently to Rs. 2.80 lakh. Other judges of the Supreme Court and Chief Justices of all High Courts will now be paid Rs. 2.50 lakh, up from Rs. 90,000 they currently earn.
Other judges of India’s twenty four High Courts will draw a monthly salary of Rs. 2.25 lakh compared to Rs. 80,000 they receive presently. All judges will also earn greater house rent allowance and other sundry allowances.
The government had incorporated recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission seeking a big hike in judges’ salaries in the High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2017. These revised salaries will come into effect from 1 January, 2016 and will also benefit several retired judges.