RAS question
Judges of the Rajasthan High Court are appointed by:
Correct answer: (D) President of India.
Judges of the Rajasthan High Court are appointed by the President of India under Article 217 of the Constitution.
Explanation
Article 217 makes the appointment authority clear: every judge of a High Court is appointed by the President. For the Rajasthan High Court, this means the power does not rest with the State executive or with the High Court itself. The existing constitutional explanation adds the consultation frame: the President acts after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, the Governor of the state, and, for a judge other than the Chief Justice, the Chief Justice of the High Court. In practice, the collegium system governs the selection process, but the formal constitutional appointment is still made by the President. That distinction is exactly what the question tests: consultation and recommendation are not the same as appointment.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The Governor of Rajasthan is part of the consultation process, but Article 217 vests the appointment of High Court judges in the President, not the Governor.
- (B) The Chief Minister of Rajasthan has no constitutional role in appointing High Court judges under Article 217.
- (C) The Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court may be consulted for appointments of judges other than the Chief Justice, but does not make the appointment.
Concept
This tests the constitutional appointment mechanism for High Court judges under Indian polity. It recurs in RAS because state institutions often require separating the Governor's consultative role from the President's formal appointing power.