Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (PM EAC), has strongly criticised the tradition of extended judicial vacations in India, labelling it “unacceptable” and claiming that the judicial system is the “single biggest hurdle to becoming Viksit Bharat”.
During his remarks at the Nyaya Nirmaan 2025 event, Sanyal asserted,”This cannot go on.” “The judiciary is a public service like any other part of the state. I also work in the government. I also take vacations. But the judges are very happy for them to take vacations. But why should the entire court system be shut down for this?”
His comments highlighted the stark contrast between the continuous operations of essential services like policing and healthcare and the prolonged closures common in the judiciary.
Sanyal drew a vivid analogy, asking attendees to imagine if hospitals adopted similar long vacations. “Let’s say some other profession does this. Let’s say the doctors decide that we will take summer vacation, the Dussehra vacation, winter vacation, and shut down the hospitals for large parts of the time and we will have vacation benches for emergency cases. Would that be acceptable? Why is it acceptable then for something that is effectively the responsibility of the state and as a citizen something I should expect from the state and particular branch of the state?” he questioned, underscoring the urgency for change.
Sanyal Slams Use Of ‘My Lord’ In Courts
Sanyal also questioned the use of colonial-era terms like “My Lord” and “prayers” in petitions, calling them outdated.
“You cannot have a profession where you use words like ‘My Lord’ or when you’re doing a petition you use the term prayer. It is not appropriate for one citizen to call another citizen ‘My Lord’ or pray to them,” he said.
🚨 AG’s consent sought to launch criminal CONTEMPT against PM’s EAC member Sanjeev Sanyal for questioning Why judges take LONG VACATIONS while doctors & cops don’t shut services
— Yashwant Varma is enjoying LUXURY, while people are getting THREATS. Wow👏🏼 pic.twitter.com/cDqknjXmTx
— The Analyzer (News Updates🗞️) (@Indian_Analyzer) September 25, 2025
Sanyal Urges Legal Fraternity To Welcome Reforms
The economist’s remarks were part of a broader call for legal reforms, particularly as India stands at a crucial demographic juncture for further development. “We effectively have somewhere between 20 and 25 years to become Viksit Bharat,” he said, highlighting that India’s goal of emerging as a developed nation is at risk unless the legal ecosystem is transformed.
Sanyal further called for changes to judicial and legal procedures, pointing to persistent delays and obstacles rooted in bureaucratic complexity. “If we do not see a major overhaul of the entire legal ecosystem, it will not matter what else we are doing in the rest of the system,” he cautioned. He also urged the legal fraternity to welcome reforms such as streamlining the legal framework and eliminating outdated practices.
He concluded with a pointed observation: “The judicial system in particular is, in my view, the single biggest hurdle to becoming Viksit Bharat and growing rapidly. The inability to enforce contracts in time or to deliver justice is now such a major constraint that I’m telling you if we do not see a major overhaul of the entire legal ecosystem, it will not matter what else we are doing in the rest of the system.”
