UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — SC suggests raising retirement age of judicial officers to 61
Q1. With reference to the Supreme Court's 2026 interim direction in the All India Judges Association matter, consider the following statements:
1. The Court asked States/UTs to consider raising the retirement age of subordinate judicial officers from 60 to 61 years.
2. The final question still pending before the Court is the uniform enhancement of the district judiciary's retirement age to 62 years.
3. The interim increase to 61 years is to be implemented by States/UTs only after obtaining the prior approval of the Union Ministry of Law and Justice.
4. The interim measure permanently settles the retirement age at 61 years, precluding any further enhancement to 62 years.
Which of the statements given above is/are correctly identified?
- The Court asked States/UTs to consider raising the retirement age of subordinate judicial officers from 60 to 61 years.
- The final question still pending before the Court is the uniform enhancement of the district judiciary's retirement age to 62 years.
- The interim increase to 61 years is to be implemented by States/UTs only after obtaining the prior approval of the Union Ministry of Law and Justice.
- The interim measure permanently settles the retirement age at 61 years, precluding any further enhancement to 62 years.
- A. 1 and 3 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2 and 4
Q2. By how many years would the uniform retirement age finally sought for the district judiciary in the All India Judges Association case exceed the present retirement age of subordinate judicial officers?
- A. 1 year
- B. 5 years
- C. 2 years
- D. 3 years
Q3. In the context of the service conditions of the district judiciary, the 'Shetty Commission' — whose recommendation on retirement age the Supreme Court considered in 2002 — is otherwise known as which one of the following?
- A. The National Judicial Appointments Commission
- B. The First Law Commission of India
- C. The First National Judicial Pay Commission
- D. The National Judicial Infrastructure Corporation
Q4. The First National Judicial Pay Commission (Shetty Commission), whose recommendations underlie the All India Judges Association litigation, was constituted by which one of the following?
- A. The Ministry of Law and Justice, acting suo motu
- B. The Government of India, pursuant to a direction of the Supreme Court
- C. The Finance Commission of India
- D. The Conference of Chief Justices of the High Courts
Q5. Andhra Pradesh enhanced the retirement age of its judicial officers from 60 to 61 years in which year, ahead of the Supreme Court's later pan-India interim direction?
- A. 2021
- B. 2022
- C. 2024
- D. 2026
Q6. Which pair of States had, on their own, raised the retirement age of their judicial officers to 62 years — the highest among the States — even before the Supreme Court's interim direction?
- A. Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh
- B. Telangana and Karnataka
- C. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
- D. Madhya Pradesh and Telangana
Q7. As used to describe the Supreme Court's approach in the long-pending All India Judges Association case, the term 'continuing mandamus' refers to which one of the following?
- A. A one-time peremptory writ directing a public authority to discharge a specific statutory duty within a fixed deadline
- B. A direction requiring subordinate courts to continue functioning during court vacations to reduce pendency
- C. A device by which the court retains jurisdiction over a matter and issues successive interim directions to monitor compliance until final resolution
- D. A writ transferring a batch of similar cases from various High Courts to the Supreme Court for a single consolidated hearing
Q8. The Supreme Court Bench that issued the July 2026 interim direction on raising judicial officers' retirement age was headed by which Chief Justice of India?
- A. B.R. Gavai
- B. Surya Kant
- C. D.Y. Chandrachud
- D. Sanjiv Khanna
Q9. Consider the following statements comparing retirement ages across tiers of the Indian judiciary:
1. The retirement age of a judge of the Supreme Court is 65 years, whereas that of a judge of a High Court is 62 years.
2. At present, the retirement age of subordinate judicial officers (60 years) is lower than that of High Court judges.
3. The retirement age of Supreme Court judges is fixed by Article 217 of the Constitution.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The retirement age of a judge of the Supreme Court is 65 years, whereas that of a judge of a High Court is 62 years.
- At present, the retirement age of subordinate judicial officers (60 years) is lower than that of High Court judges.
- The retirement age of Supreme Court judges is fixed by Article 217 of the Constitution.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q10. The retirement age of a judge of the Supreme Court of India (65 years) is prescribed under which Article of the Constitution?
- A. Article 217(1)
- B. Article 233
- C. Article 148
- D. Article 124(2)
Q11. With reference to the constitutional scheme governing the district/subordinate judiciary, consider the following statements:
1. Appointment of district judges is made by the Governor of the State in consultation with the High Court exercising jurisdiction in that State.
2. Control over subordinate courts, including posting, promotion and leave of district judges, is vested exclusively in the State Government.
3. The retirement age of the district judiciary is expressly fixed at 62 years by the Constitution itself.
4. Recruitment of persons other than district judges to the judicial service is governed by Article 234.
Which of the statements given above is/are correctly identified?
- Appointment of district judges is made by the Governor of the State in consultation with the High Court exercising jurisdiction in that State.
- Control over subordinate courts, including posting, promotion and leave of district judges, is vested exclusively in the State Government.
- The retirement age of the district judiciary is expressly fixed at 62 years by the Constitution itself.
- Recruitment of persons other than district judges to the judicial service is governed by Article 234.
- A. 1 and 4 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1, 2 and 4 only
- D. 3 and 4 only
Q12. Under the current continuing-mandamus proceedings, the interim relief granted raises the retirement age of the subordinate judiciary by how many years, as against the larger enhancement still under adjudication?
- A. 1 year
- B. 2 years
- C. 3 years
- D. 4 years