Delhi Judicial Services frequently asked questions
Q: What is the overall selection process for the Delhi Judicial Service?
A: The Delhi High Court conducts recruitment under the Delhi Judicial Service Rules, 1970, in three sequential stages:
- Preliminary Examination: An objective-type screening test of 200 marks, 2 hours 30 minutes.
- Main Examination (Written): Four descriptive papers totalling 850 marks, 3 hours per paper.
- Viva-Voce (Interview): A personal interview carrying 150 marks.
Q: How is the final merit list prepared?
A: Final merit is computed out of 1,000 marks — Mains (850) plus Viva-Voce (150). Preliminary Examination marks are purely qualifying and carry zero weight in the final ranking.
Q: What is the Preliminary Examination pattern and the negative marking rule?
A: The Prelims is an objective MCQ paper of 200 marks with a duration of 2 hours 30 minutes. Negative marking is 25% (0.25 marks) deducted for each incorrect answer. The syllabus covers General Knowledge, aptitude, English language and power of expression, and objective-type legal problems drawn from the core substantive and procedural laws.
Q: What are the qualifying marks in the Preliminary Examination?
A: 60% for the general category and 55% for reserved categories (SC, ST, and eligible categories of Persons with Disabilities). This is the steepest prelims threshold among Indian judicial service examinations. Most states qualify at 50%.
Q: What is the structure of the Main Examination?
A: Four compulsory descriptive papers of 3 hours each:
- Paper I — General Legal Knowledge & Language (250 marks): Section I, General Legal Knowledge, 100 marks (current legal affairs); Section II, Language, 150 marks (essay, précis writing, and translation). Marks are awarded for substance and expression, with deductions for poor expression.
- Paper II — Civil Law I (200 marks): Indian Contract Act, Sale of Goods Act, Indian Partnership Act, Specific Relief Act, Hindu Law, Mohammedan Law, Delhi Rent Control Act, and Law of Torts.
- Paper III — Civil Law II (200 marks): Code of Civil Procedure, Law of Evidence, Law of Limitation, and Law of Registration.
- Paper IV — Criminal Law (200 marks): Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and Indian Evidence Act.
Q: What are the qualifying marks in the Main Examination and the Viva-Voce?
A: To be called for the Viva-Voce, a candidate must secure a minimum of 40% in each written paper and 50% in the aggregate. For SC, ST and eligible PwD candidates, the requirement is 35% in each paper and 45% in the aggregate. In the Viva-Voce, the minimum is 50% for general category and 45% for reserved categories to be eligible for inclusion in the final list.
Q: What is the age limit and educational qualification?
A:
- Educational Qualification: The candidate must be a person practising as an Advocate in India, or a person qualified to be admitted as an Advocate under the Advocates Act, 1961. No minimum years of practice are required, so fresh law graduates are eligible.
- Age Limit: Not more than 32 years of age. Note the unusual reckoning date under the Rules — age is computed as on 1st January following the date of commencement of the examination, not as on the application deadline.
- Age Relaxation: 5 years for SC/ST and Ex-Servicemen; 10 years for general-category candidates with disability; 15 years for SC/ST candidates with disability. There is no OBC age relaxation in DJS.
- Attempts: No cap on the number of attempts, subject to the age ceiling.
Q: Is knowledge of Hindi mandatory?
A: There is no separate qualifying regional language test in DJS, unlike in Gujarat or Maharashtra. However, translation forms part of the Language section of Mains Paper I, so working competence in Hindi is functionally necessary. The paper is primarily designed to test knowledge and power of expression in English.
Q: Which Delhi-specific laws are examinable?
A: The signature local statute is the Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958, which sits within Civil Law–I. The Law of Limitation and the Law of Registration are also listed as separate examinable subjects under Civil Law–II — a distinction from most state examinations, where they appear only incidentally within CPC.
Q: Does the syllabus include the new criminal laws (BNS, BNSS, BSA)?
A: The criminal law paper is framed in the Rules in terms of the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act. Candidates must nevertheless be equally fluent in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, since transition-period questions and provision-mapping now feature in recent cycles. Confirm the operative statutory framing against the live notification for your cycle.
Q: What is the pay scale for a newly appointed Civil Judge in Delhi?
A: Appointment is to the post of Civil Judge (Junior Division) under the Second National Judicial Pay Commission (SNJPC) framework:
- Pay Scale: ₹77,840 – ₹1,36,520
- Starting Basic Pay: ₹77,840 per month
- Estimated In-Hand Salary: approximately ₹1,00,000 – ₹1,10,000 per month, since Delhi attracts the highest HRA slab as an X-class city, alongside DA and other admissible allowances.
Q: Is there a probation period after selection?
A: Yes. Selected candidates are appointed on probation and undergo institutional training at the Delhi Judicial Academy before and during their initial posting. Departmental examinations must be passed during the probation period. Confirm the exact probation duration and any bond conditions against the notification for your cycle, as these are periodically revised.