The Delhi government has finally signed off on a salary bump for law researchers working with Delhi High Court judges—raising their monthly pay from ₹65,000 to ₹80,000. But the catch lies in the fine print: the hike will count only from September 2, 2025, and not retrospectively as the Court had once envisioned.
The notification came on September 8, just a day before the High Court was set to examine the issue in an ongoing case. The timing has not gone unnoticed, given that back in 2023 the Court had cleared a proposal to make the revised remuneration effective from October 2022.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had hinted at this move earlier this month, framing it as part of a broader judicial support package. Along with the salary hike, her government promised ₹540 crore for judicial housing and four research assistants for every judge. “We’ve decided to pay them ₹80,000 each,” she declared during the unveiling of a slew of digital initiatives, including a mobile app and e-court integrations.
Yet, the battle over arrears continues in the courtroom. A group of thirteen researchers who served between 2018 and 2025 have challenged the government’s delay in implementing the Court’s earlier decision. Their plea—Rushant Malhotra & Ors. vs. GNCTD & Ors.—is currently before Justices Prathiba M Singh and Rajneesh Kumar Gupta.
In the previous hearing, the government had sought more time, assuring the Bench that a resolution was imminent. That assurance has now materialized into a partial victory for researchers: a future-facing pay hike, but no compensation for past years of underpayment.
The case returns to the High Court today, where the tussle between judicial directives and governmental discretion is expected to sharpen further.
