Parliament gave its seal of approval to the National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, 2014 with the Rajya Sabha adopting the measure today. The Lok Sabha passed the bill yesterday.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad expressed the hope that the six-member Commission with its collective wisdom will be able to select people with talent and caliber for the posts of judges to Supreme Court and High Courts. He was replying to the discussion on the bill in the Upper House.

The Minister said, his ministry had held wide range of consultations with all the stakeholders on the bill aimed at replacing the present collegium system of selecting judges.

He also underlined the need for having a data bank of lawyers with talents and experience. He said, people belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Minorities and Women can also be accommodated on their merit. Later, the National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill was passed by voice vote.

Earlier, the House adopted a relevant Constitution Amendment Bill un-opposed in a division of voting. Altogether 179 members participated in the division. Later, Chairman Mohammed Hamid Ansari said the Constitution Amendment Bill was adopted by a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting.