Current Affairs for 18 June 2026

Women's Representation in the Supreme Court: Will the Judiciary's Last Glass Wall Break Now?

Why in the News ?

• The recent appointment of Justice V. Mohana to the Supreme Court of India marks a significant milestone in Indian judicial history. She is only the second woman advocate to be appointed directly from the Bar to the Supreme Court. The previous appointment was in 2018, when Justice Indu Malhotra received this opportunity.
• While this achievement signals increasing participation of women, their representation in the Indian higher judiciary remains extremely limited. Therefore, it is natural to question whether this appointment will truly prove to be a decisive step towards breaking the "last glass ceiling" of the judiciary.

Limited Participation of Women in the Higher Judiciary

• Women's participation in the Indian judiciary has historically been low. Of the nine male judges directly appointed from the bar to the Supreme Court, many served for long terms, and some, such as Justice S.M. Sikri and Justice U.U. Lalit, even became Chief Justices of India (CJIs).
• Currently serving Justices P.S. Narasimha and K.V. Vishwanathan are also likely to become Chief Justices in the future. In contrast, the first female direct appointment, Justice Indu Malhotra, served for less than three years and never became a member of the collegium.
• This situation demonstrates that women have had relatively limited opportunities to reach leadership roles in the judiciary.

Global Experience and Best Practices

• Many countries around the world have adopted specific constitutional and legal provisions to ensure gender balance in their supreme courts.

The Belgian Model

• In 2014, Belgium amended its Constitutional Court legislation to mandate at least one-third representation of each gender on the court.
• Until this goal is achieved, for every two male appointments, the third will be a woman.

South Africa's Experience

• Article 174(2) of the South African Constitution requires the judiciary to reflect the country's racial and gender composition.
• Currently, six out of 11 judges on the Constitutional Court are women, and the court is headed by a female Chief Justice.
• It is one of the first female-majority constitutional courts in the world.

Are representation-based appointments a new concept ?

• The principle of representation is not a new idea in the Indian judiciary. There is already a tradition of representing various High Courts and regions in appointments to the Supreme Court. In recent years, geographical diversity has also been given importance in judicial appointments.
• In such a situation, if regional representation is considered a legitimate criterion, it seems logical to institutionalize gender representation as well.

India's position: Far behind global standards

• Despite the appointment of Justice V. Mohana, the number of women in the Supreme Court remains extremely low.

Current Status

• Total sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court : 37 judges
• Women judges : 2
• Total representation : approximately 5.4 percent

International Comparison: Women’s Representation in Apex Courts

• These figures clearly show that India lags far behind both developed and developing democracies.

Necessary Reforms

1. Constitutional Amendment

• Article 124 (Appointment of Judges of the Supreme Court) and Article 217 (Appointment of Judges of the High Courts) can be amended to ensure adequate representation of women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, and minorities in the judiciary.

2. Formulation of Judicial Policy

• Pending constitutional amendment, the Supreme Court itself could adopt a written policy and set a target of at least 33.3 percent female representation.

3. Targeted Appointment System

• India could adopt a system similar to Belgium, where one woman judge is mandated for every two male appointments. This process could be continued until one-third female representation in the judiciary is achieved.

Conclusion

The appointment of Justice V. Mohana is an important symbol of the increasing participation of women in the Indian judiciary, but a few individual appointments cannot eliminate structural inequalities. The mere 5.4 percent representation of women in the Supreme Court indicates that there is still a long way to go towards gender equality.

Mombasa Declaration: A global initiative to combat illegal fishing

Why in the news ?

Fifteen countries from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, and the Pacific recently adopted the Mombasa Declaration. Its purpose is to strengthen global cooperation against illegal fishing and increase transparency and accountability in the fisheries sector.

What is the Mombasa Declaration ?

• The Mombasa Declaration is an international agreement adopted by 15 countries to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU Fishing).
• The declaration was adopted during the 11th Our Ocean Conference (OOC) held in Mombasa, Kenya. Hence, it is named the "Mombasa Declaration."

Key Objectives of the Declaration

• The Mombasa Declaration urges countries to take the following steps :
  • Make information on fishing vessels, their ownership, and licenses more accessible.
  • Strengthen data sharing among countries.
  • Ensure better monitoring and regulation of maritime activities.
  • Promote transparency and good governance in the fisheries sector.
  • Conserve marine biodiversity and fisheries resources.

Countries that signed the declaration

• The Mombasa Declaration has been signed by 15 countries, including Belgium, Cameroon, Chile, Dominican Republic, France, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Republic of Congo, Somalia, and South Korea.

Key provisions of the Charter :

• Modernization of the vessel registration system.
• Publicization of fishing licenses and authorizations.
• Increasing transparency in fisheries activities.
• Encouraging low-cost administrative reforms.

What is Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing ?

• Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing refers to fishing activities that :
  • violate national or international laws.
  • are not reported to the relevant authorities.
  • operate without permission or proper regulation.

Ill effects of IUU fishing

• Overexploitation of fish resources
• Loss of marine biodiversity
• Adverse impact on the livelihoods of coastal communities
• Threat to food security
• Degradation of marine ecosystems

Our Ocean Conference (OOC)

• Our Ocean Conference was launched in 2014 by the US Department of State under the leadership of former Secretary of State John Kerry.
• It brings together governments, industries, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions to address issues related to the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans.

Key Focus Areas of OOC

• Marine Protected Areas
• Sustainable Blue Economy
• Climate Change
• Maritime Security
• Sustainable Fisheries
• Marine Pollution

OOC 2026

• Location : Mombasa, Kenya
• Theme : "Our Ocean, Our Heritage, Our Future"
• Highlights : This was the first time this global conference was held on the African continent.

Conclusion

The Mombasa Declaration is an important initiative to strengthen global cooperation against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. It promotes the sustainable use of marine resources, transparency in the fisheries sector, and the conservation of marine biodiversity. It also reflects a global commitment to improved ocean governance and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.