RAS question
The retirement age of a Supreme Court judge is:
Correct answer: (C) 65 years.
A judge of the Supreme Court of India holds office until attaining the age of 65 years under Article 124(2) of the Constitution.
Explanation
Article 124(2) fixes the tenure of a Supreme Court judge by stating that every judge shall hold office until attaining the age of sixty-five years. That makes 65 years the retirement age for a Supreme Court judge. The nearby proviso also keeps the answer tied to judicial independence: before that age, a judge may leave by resignation or be removed only in the manner provided in Article 124(4). The common trap is 62 years, which belongs to High Court judges under Article 217, not to Supreme Court judges.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Seventy years is not supported by Article 124(2), which fixes the Supreme Court judge's tenure only until the age of 65 years.
- (B) Sixty-two years applies to High Court judges under Article 217, so it confuses a different constitutional court with the Supreme Court.
- (D) Sixty years is not the constitutional retirement age for Supreme Court judges; Article 124(2) sets the age at 65 years.
Concept
This tests the Union judiciary part of Indian Constitution and Governance, especially tenure and removal of Supreme Court judges. It recurs in RAS because Article-linked age limits are easy to mix up, particularly 65 years for Supreme Court judges versus 62 years for High Court judges.