The Centre has announced an unexpected 200% hike in the salaries of Judges of the High Courts across the country as well as the Supreme Court.

In 2016, the then Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur had penned a letter to the Centre recommending increase in wages and allowances of Judges of High Courts and the apex Court. Following the CJI’s plea, the Centre set up a 3-Judges Committee which studied various pros and cons before submitting its recommendations to the Centre last year in the form of a detailed report.

Almost all the aspects in the above-said report has been accepted by the Centre, it is said. The Committee reportedly recommended that the CJI should get a minimum of Rs.3 lakhs as his salary which has now been fixed as Rs.2.80 lakhs. The hike in salaries, to cover all serving and retired Judges of the 24 High Courts in the country as well as the Supreme Court, would take effect from 01st January, 2016.

CJI, who had till now been getting Re.1 lakh as salary, would now get Rs.2.80 lakhs as his salary. Other Judges at the Supreme Court, who had till now been getting only Rs.90,000 as salary, would henceforth be getting Rs.2.50 lakhs per month as their revised remuneration. Salaries of Judges at the various High Courts across the country has also been hiked to Rs.2.25 lakhs from the existing Rs.80,000 per month.

Salaries of Secretaries to the Govt. of India’s various Ministries/Departments have also been hiked in the relevant gazette notification issued in this regard.