Raj HC acting CJ drops escort vehicles in austerity move

Jaipur: In an administrative gesture reflecting the Centre’s call for austerity, Rajasthan High Court Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma has discontinued the use of two escort vehicles previously attached to his official convoy.

The move follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent advisory urging constitutional authorities and senior officials to avoid unnecessary security deployment and excessive use of official escorts unless warranted by specific security concerns.

On Thursday, Justice Sharma travelled between his official residence and the high court using only a single official vehicle, without the two escort vehicles that had earlier accompanied him. The decision has drawn attention in legal and bureaucratic circles, where it is being viewed as a notable message in favour of simplicity, restraint and administrative accountability.

Senior advocates and judicial officers welcomed the step, saying it showed that constitutional functionaries can perform their duties effectively without an overt display of privilege. A senior lawyer said such initiatives help strengthen public faith in institutions and reflect administrative sensitivity. Legal experts said the judiciary has long stood for discipline, restraint and institutional dignity, and described Justice Sharma’s decision as consistent with those values and with the broader ideals of humility and public service.

Justice Sharma has also been noted for other people-centric administrative decisions. Recently, he ordered the transfers of 130 judicial officers, adeptly ensuring that 65 husband-wife judge couples were stationed together, a move that has been lauded within judicial circles. In another unusual administrative step, he assigned husband-wife judges Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati and Justice Nupur Bhati to hear matters on the same bench, a first-of-its-kind arrangement in the Rajasthan High Court.

Rajasthan Transfers 805 Judicial Officers Across Ranks, 65 Cases on Spouse Grounds

Jaipur: In a major administrative reshuffle in the subordinate judiciary, the Rajasthan high court Thursday transferred 805 judicial officers across different ranks, including District Judges (DJ), Additional District Judges (ADJ), Chief Judicial Magistrates (CJM), Additional Chief Judicial Magistrates (ACJM), and Judicial Magistrates (JM). As per the transfer list on Thursday the highest number of transfers was recorded in the JM cadre with 339 officers shifted, followed by 181 transfers in the ADJ rank and 158 in the ACJM cadre. Transfers of 84 District Judges and 43 Chief Judicial Magistrates have also been ordered. The detailed list of transfer was awaited till late in the evening.

The exercise also included consideration of 65 officers under spouse grounds to facilitate family postings. Besides transfers, promotions were approved and proposed in several cadres. A total of 256 promotions were approved, while 186 additional promotions have been proposed.