New Delhi: Chief Justice of India TS Thakur broke down on Sunday while speaking about the pressure that the judges face in the country while working.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present as the CJI was talking about the sharp disproportion between population and the number of judges required to cater to them, today.

“The government should raise the number of judges from the current 21,000 to 40,000,” he said adding that an average Indian judge handles 2,600 cases, compared to just 81 in the US.

“The lower courts handle 2 crore cases a year – the discrepancy never fails to shock judges visiting from abroad,” he further said.

The Prime minister, who was not expected to speak at that point, broke his silence to assure the judiciary that his government was serious about addressing the issues. “If a closed door and close team norms allow, I will definitely try to find a way out,” he said.

He said for all the things the Prime Minister wants FDI, Make in India etc “it is important to have more judges and showcase India”.