SC Judges Prefer Safe Investments...

The Supreme Court judges' filings revealed a generally conservative financial ethos, emphasising stability and long-term savings.

IMAGE: Then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and his wife Asha Khanna with President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, May 7, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo

Are judges of the Supreme Court more circumspect than Cabinet ministers when it comes to financial investment? Well, data suggests so.

A recent financial disclosure by the apex court judges revealed striking differences between their financial investment preferences and that of Union ministers.

Based on data analysed by Business Standard, Supreme Court judges tend to favour safer, low-risk instruments, while ministers display a larger appetite for market-based assets.

Cabinet ministers, barring one, collectively declared financial assets worth Rs 206.02 crore (Rs 2.0602 billion).

Of this, a massive 72.36 per cent -- or nearly Rs 149 crore (Rs 1.49 billion) -- is invested in shares and mutual funds, indicating high exposure to market fluctuations.

Bank deposits, including fixed ones, account for another 25.83 per cent (Rs 53.2 crore/Rs 532 million).

In stark contrast, the 19 Supreme Court judges, who provided disaggregated data, reported total financial assets of Rs 128.5 crore (Rs 1.285 billion), with 67.07 per cent (Rs 86.19 crore/Rs 861.9 million) held in bank deposits such as savings and fixed one and 19.8 per cent (Rs 25.44 crore/Rs 254.4 million) in provident fund schemes like Public Provident Fund and general provident fund.

Just 13.13 per cent (Rs 16.87 crore/Rs 168.7 million) is invested in shares and mutual funds.

As many as 21 out of 33 sitting Supreme Court judges disclosed asset details. However, many did not assign a monetary value to their immovable assets, such as residential property or land, making a full wealth comparison difficult.

Despite this, their filings revealed a generally conservative financial ethos, emphasising stability and long-term savings.

Outgoing Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna -- who retired on May 13 -- held fixed deposits worth Rs 55.75 lakh, along with multiple properties in Delhi and Gurugram and a share in property in Dalhousie.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's latest disclosure shows total assets worth Rs 2.98 crore (Rs 29.8 million).

His portfolio includes bank deposits, life insurance, jewellery. He does not own any property.