Judge Salary in India and the Civil Judge Exam

Judge salary in India depends on the level of the court. A newly appointed Civil Judge (Junior Division) starts at a basic pay of ₹77,840 a month on the judicial pay scale, a District Judge appointed directly from the Bar starts at ₹1,44,840, a High Court judge gets ₹2,25,000 and a Supreme Court judge ₹2,50,000. On this page I explain the judicial services exam that leads to the civil judge post, who can apply, the age limit, the exam pattern, training, promotions and how to prepare.

What a civil judge does

A Civil Judge (Junior Division) is the entry post of the lower judiciary in every state. You sit in a court room and hear cases. On the civil side you decide property, money recovery, rent and family disputes up to a value limit. On the criminal side the same officer usually works as a Judicial Magistrate First Class, hearing bail matters, taking evidence and deciding smaller criminal cases.

A normal day starts with the cause list: a long list of cases fixed for that day. You record evidence, hear arguments, pass orders and then write judgments, often late into the evening. The work needs patience, careful reading and the courage to decide. It carries a lot of respect in society, and the job is secure for life.

Do not mix this up with an executive magistrate. A Sub Divisional Magistrate or Tehsildar who works as an executive magistrate is an officer of the state civil service, chosen through the state PCS exam, and is paid on the state pay matrix.

Judge salary in India by court level

Judges of the lower courts are not paid on the 7th CPC matrix. Their pay follows the recommendations of the Second National Judicial Pay Commission, which the Supreme Court directed all states to implement. High Court and Supreme Court judges get a fixed salary set by Parliament. The table puts the district court judge salary, high court judge salary and supreme court judge salary side by side with the entry posts.

These are basic pay figures. Judicial officers also get Dearness Allowance, which is revised from time to time, house rent allowance or official housing, and other allowances under the judicial pay rules of their state. District judges also move to higher selection grade and super time scale levels later in service. So the civil judge salary per month you actually receive is well above the basic figure. Because DA changes twice a year, check your state's latest judicial pay order for the current amount.

Salary of a High Court judge is charged on which fund

This is a common exam question. Under the Constitution, the salaries and allowances of High Court judges are charged on the Consolidated Fund of the State, so the state legislature cannot vote on them. Supreme Court judges' salaries are charged on the Consolidated Fund of India. This protects judges from pressure by the government of the day.

Judicial services exam: who conducts the judge exam

There is no single national judge exam. Each state holds its own judicial services exam, also called the PCS (J) or Civil Judge (Junior Division) exam. Depending on the state, it is conducted either by the High Court itself or by the State Public Service Commission in consultation with the High Court. For example, in some states the High Court runs every stage, while in others the state PSC issues the notice.

When people ask for the judge exam name, these are the common ones: Civil Judge (Junior Division) Exam, Judicial Magistrate exam, PCS (J), and Higher Judicial Service (HJS) exam for district judges. Vacancies and dates are announced by each High Court, so keep checking your High Court's recruitment page.

Judge exam eligibility: qualification for judge exam

The basic qualification for the judge exam is a law degree (LLB, either 3 year after graduation or 5 year integrated after 12th) and enrolment as an advocate with a State Bar Council. If you are in school now, read about the CLAT entrance and the lawyer career path.

The practice rule

The Supreme Court ruled in the All India Judges Association case that candidates for Civil Judge (Junior Division) need prior experience at the Bar, counted from provisional enrolment, and that selected candidates must train for at least one year before presiding over a court. The Court later revisited how this rule should be put into practice. Under its latest directions:

• For recruitment notices issued during a transition period, fresh law graduates can apply. Those selected serve as Trainee Judicial Officers for one year at the state judicial academy, followed by one year of law clerkship under district and High Court judges.
• For notices issued after that period, applicants need at least one year of actual practice, proved by a certificate of practice, and then go through the same training and clerkship.

States are amending their rules to match. So the safest advice is simple: read the eligibility section of your High Court's latest notification line by line before you apply.

District judge exam eligibility

Direct recruitment as a District Judge needs at least seven years of practice as an advocate, as laid down in the Constitution. Serving civil judges also become district judges through promotion and limited competitive exams.

Judge exam age limit

Each state sets its own age limit. For Civil Judge (Junior Division) the range is commonly around 21 or 22 years minimum and 35 years maximum, with extra years for SC, ST, OBC, women or PwBD candidates in many states. One state notice we checked allowed candidates above 22 and below 35, with 3 extra years for women and SC and ST candidates. Another allowed up to 35 with 5 years' relaxation for SC, ST and BC candidates. For district judge recruitment from the Bar the age band is higher, often from 35 to 45 years. Check your state's rules and see our page on the age limit for govt jobs.

Civil judge exam pattern and syllabus

Most states follow three stages. The details below come from state notices we read; your state may differ in marks and papers.

The final merit is usually made from Mains plus interview marks. The civil judge exam syllabus now includes the new criminal laws (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam) in place of the IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act, so check how your state's notice lists them. Local laws, such as land revenue and rent acts of your state, carry real weight in Mains.

Training and promotions

After selection you train at the state judicial academy and in courts under senior judges before you get your own court. Under the Supreme Court's directions, this training is at least one year, and newer recruits also do a law clerkship.

The usual career ladder looks like this:

1. Civil Judge (Junior Division) and Judicial Magistrate First Class
2. Civil Judge (Senior Division), who may also act as Chief Judicial Magistrate
3. Additional District Judge and Additional Sessions Judge
4. District and Sessions Judge, the head of the district judiciary
5. Elevation to the High Court for some senior district judges

Even without promotion, the pay rises through assured career progression (ACP) steps after set years of service. So the district judge salary per month and the session court judge salary are far above the entry pay of a junior civil judge.

How to prepare for the judicial services exam

• Read bare acts first: the exact words of the sections matter more than any guide book.
• Master procedure: the Code of Civil Procedure and the criminal procedure law carry heavy weight in both stages.
• Practise writing: Mains needs judgment writing, framing of issues and essays. Write answers by hand against the clock.
• Do not ignore language papers: translation and precis decide many final ranks.
• Study your state's local laws: they are often skipped by students from other states.
• Read recent Supreme Court and High Court judgments on core subjects.

Most serious candidates prepare for 1 to 2 years after LLB, often while practising in court. The exam is among the toughest exams in India because seats are few and the written papers are long.

If you are a law graduate, also look at other options in our guide to jobs after graduation and at highest paying govt jobs.

Official website: the recruitment page of your state High Court, or your State Public Service Commission where it conducts the exam.