SCBA Chief Vikas Singh Flags Social Security Gap for Supreme Court Advocates in Letter to FM
(By: Syed Ali Taher Abedi)
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President, Vikas Singh, has formally addressed Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, urging the government to extend vital social security benefits to the approximately 23,000 practicing advocates of the Supreme Court of India. In his letter, Singh highlights the pressing financial and health-related uncertainties faced by advocates due to the current lack of access to schemes such as the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) and Employees’ State Insurance (ESI).
Emphasizing the critical need for affordable health and accident coverage, Singh points out that the absence of these benefits is causing significant distress among legal practitioners. He stresses that such social security measures are indispensable for protecting the welfare of those who are integral to the justice delivery system in India.
Additionally, the SCBA President draws attention to the imposition of an 18% Goods and Services Tax (GST) on group insurance premiums covering advocates. He argues that this tax burden further exacerbates the financial challenges faced by advocates and requests the Finance Ministry to issue necessary guidelines or notifications to exempt the SCBA group insurance premium from GST at the earliest.
Singh states that exempting these insurance premiums from GST will considerably enhance the financial security of advocates, enabling them to focus better on their professional responsibilities. He also asserts that such reforms will strengthen the overall ecosystem of justice delivery in the country by ensuring that legal professionals are supported with adequate health and financial safeguards.
The SCBA’s appeal underscores the urgent need for policy interventions to address systemic gaps in social security for legal professionals, reaffirming their rightful claim to benefits comparable to other government employees. This move by the SCBA is expected to spark broader discussions on the welfare of the legal fraternity and potentially lead to progressive reforms in the sector.
