The Hindu Newspaper Analysis

Addressing the Under-Representation of Women in the Judiciary

Context and Introduction

• Need for Women-Centric Judicial Perspectives: Increasing women’s participation in the judiciary demands policies beyond entry-level support to ensure retention and growth.
• Current Gaps: Existing measures focus mainly on entry, overlooking retention and support for women once they enter the system.

State of Women in Judiciary

• District Judiciary: Women constitute 36.3% of district judges (Supreme Court “State of Judiciary” report 2023).
  • In 14 states, over 50% of new civil judges are women.
• High Courts and Supreme Court: Only 13.4% of High Court judges and 9.3% of Supreme Court judges are women as of January 2024.
  • States like Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha have either no women judges or just one.

Under-Representation in the Bar

• Overall Representation: Women make up 15.31% of enrolled advocates (Department of Legal Affairs, 2022).
• Lack of Senior Positions: Few women are senior advocates, advocates-on-record, or Bar Council representatives, limiting their elevation potential.

Policy Gaps

• Challenges in Entry and Retention: Women face barriers both entering and remaining in the judiciary, perpetuating under-representation.
• Entry Barriers: Judicial Service Rules often require continuous practice, challenging for women balancing family responsibilities.
• Unsupportive Career Environment: Few women advance to higher courts due to unsupportive policies and harsh transfer requirements.

Infrastructure and Daily Interactions

• Infrastructural Issues: Courts often lack dedicated washrooms, sanitary facilities, and waste disposal for women.
  • 2019 survey by Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy found nearly 100 district courts with no women’s washrooms.
• Need for Family-Friendly Amenities: Few courts have feeding rooms or crèches; Delhi High Court’s crèche, for instance, is only for children under six.

Policy Recommendations for Inclusive Judiciary

• Address Entry and Retention Together: Entry and retention measures should be unified to ensure a robust support system for women in judiciary.
• Public-Private Divide: Carole Pateman’s theory of public-private divide highlights that courts, as public spaces, lack sensitivity to women’s needs, resulting in an unsupportive environment.
• Adopt Female-Centric Perspectives: Implementing a “female gaze” would cater to specific women’s needs and address unconscious gender biases in judiciary policies.
  • Breaking Male-Centric Standards: Including women in decision-making processes can help restructure court spaces to be more inclusive.

Prioritizing Women’s Needs

• Need for Women-Centric Infrastructure: Former judge Justice Hima Kohli noted gender biases in administrative duties.
• Lack of Representation in Committees: Only Delhi, Allahabad, and Himachal Pradesh High Courts include women judges in their Building Committees.
• Adequate Representation for Policy Input: High Court Registries and judicial academies lack women’s perspectives, which could guide policy-making and gender-sensitization training.

Conclusion

Integrating women-centric policies and infrastructural support is essential to empower women in the judiciary. Adequate facilities, fair recruitment, and gender-sensitive policies will enable a judiciary that better represents and supports women, ultimately enhancing justice delivery.

 

 

 

The Hindu Newspaper Analysis

Addressing Learning Disabilities in India’s Education System

Context and Introduction

• Inclusive Education Goal: Creating an education system that supports every child’s unique learning needs through empathy, understanding, and evidence-based interventions.
• Understanding Learning Disabilities: They impact not just reading or writing but the entire process of thinking, engaging, and processing information, affecting around 8-15% (50 million) of schoolgoing children in India.

Challenges Faced by Students with Learning Disabilities

• Broad Impact on Learning: These disabilities affect communication, articulation, and understanding, making classroom interactions challenging.
• Case Study:
  • Dyslexia: Impacts reading, comprehension, memory, and social interactions.
  • ADHD: Affects attention and impulse control, often dismissed as restlessness.
• Teacher Preparedness: Many teachers, especially in rural India, lack training in inclusive teaching methods, which worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Internalized Failure and Mental Health: Without support, students often feel “lazy” or “stupid,” leading to higher rates of anxiety and depression (Indian Journal of Psychiatry).
• Rare Success Stories: The case of Radhika, a student with learning disabilities scoring 97% in CBSE, is exceptional. Most students remain unsupported.

Steps Toward Improvement

• Government Initiatives:
  • Recognition: Learning disabilities are recognized under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
  • Early Diagnosis: Government’s plan for adult diagnostic tests is a positive step.
  • NEP 2020: Promotes standards for inclusive education, but classroom application remains a challenge.
• Need for Teacher Training: B.Ed. programs should focus on neurodiversity and adaptive teaching.

Path to Inclusive Education

• Early Identification Programs: Emphasis on early screening and intervention; 22 Cross-Disability Early Intervention Centres (CDEIC) and Kerala’s initiatives show promise.
• Role of Technology: Tools like text-to-speech software, PM e-Vidya, DIKSHA, and e-Pathshala can bridge learning gaps, but accessibility is a challenge.
• Cultural Shift and Awareness: Changing the perception of learning disabilities through campaigns and movies like Taare Zameen Par.
• Parents’ Role: Parents must be educated to recognize early signs and advocate for their child’s needs.
• Incentivizing Teacher Training: Financial rewards, career growth, or recognition for teachers specialized in neurodiversity.
• Collaboration: Government, NGOs, and private institutions should coordinate to implement effective policies.

Conclusion

Learning disabilities call for compassionate, evidence-based solutions to create an inclusive education system that nurtures each child’s potential. By acting now, India can ensure its future as a global leader with a robust, inclusive educational foundation.