India, Sept. 17 -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday castigated the Union government for the shabby treatment meted out to retired judges of the apex court and high courts who accept tribunal assignments, observing they are made to "beg" even for the most basic facilities.

A bench of justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan lamented that the lack of infrastructure has become so acute that many former judges are now refusing to take up such posts.

The rebuke came during proceedings on vacancies in the National Green Tribunal (NGT). While the government initially informed the court that the selection process had been completed, it was later disclosed that some of the proposed judicial members had declined to join.

"How are you treating former c...