Centre Notifies Seven High Court Judges; SC Collegium Under CJI Gavai Recommends Key Supreme Court and Chief Justice Appointments

New Delhi, May 27, 2025 – A significant wave of judicial appointments and recommendations swept through the Indian legal landscape on Monday, May 26, 2025. The Central Government, through the Ministry of Law and Justice, notified the appointment of seven advocates as judges across five High Courts. Simultaneously, the Supreme Court Collegium, in its first set of resolutions under the new Chief Justice of India, B.R. Gavai , recommended crucial appointments, including three judges to the Supreme Court and new Chief Justices for five High Courts. These developments are poised to impact judicial strength, address vacancies, and shape the leadership in higher judiciary.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law & Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal, announced the High Court appointments via social media platform 'X' (formerly Twitter), stating, "In exercise of the power conferred by the Constitution of India, the President of India, after consultation with Chief Justice of India, is pleased to appoint the following Advocates as High Court Judges."

High Court Judicial Appointments Notified

The Centre's notification confirmed the appointment of seven advocates, including one woman, to various High Courts. These appointments aim to bolster the bench strength and address the persistent issue of judicial vacancies in these courts.

The newly appointed High Court judges are:

Madhya Pradesh High Court:

Deepak Khot

Amit Seth

Pavan Kumar Dwivedi

Punjab and Haryana High Court (Additional Judge):

Rohit Kapur

Uttarakhand High Court (Additional Judge):

Subhash Upadhyay

Gauhati High Court (Additional Judge):

Smt. Shamima Jahan

Bombay High Court (Additional Judge):

Sachin Shivajirao Deshmukh

Scrutiny and Clearance: The Madhya Pradesh Appointments

The appointments to the Madhya Pradesh High Court, in particular, followed a period of detailed consideration. The Supreme Court Collegium had initially recommended Amit Seth on October 17, 2023, noting his "reasonably good practice at the Bar, enjoyed a good personal and professional image, and carried a reputation for character and integrity." The Collegium also recorded that a sole consultee judge of the Supreme Court expressed a positive opinion and Department of Justice inputs indicated no adverse information regarding his integrity or overt political leanings.

However, on the same date, the Collegium had deferred consideration of Deepak Khot and Pavan Kumar Dwivedi , seeking further reports from the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court due to inputs from the Department of Justice. Following the receipt of additional material, including responses from the candidates themselves, the Collegium cleared their names in a subsequent resolution dated January 9, 2024.

Significantly, the Collegium addressed concerns raised by the government regarding Deepak Khot 's integrity, observing that such inputs "were based on unconfirmed information obtained through discreet enquiries, and were not supported by any specific or verifiable material." The Collegium firmly concluded, “Shri Deepak Khot is fit and suitable for appointment as a Judge of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh.” Similarly, for Pavan Kumar Dwivedi , the Collegium found him professionally competent and dismissed integrity-related concerns as unconfirmed and lacking concrete material, supported by favourable opinions from consultee judges.

As of May 1, 2025, the Madhya Pradesh High Court was functioning with 33 judges against a sanctioned strength of 53, highlighting a vacancy position of 20. These three appointments are a step towards alleviating this shortfall.

Supreme Court Collegium Recommends Three Judges for Supreme Court Elevation

In a major development, the Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai , recommended the elevation of two High Court Chief Justices and one High Court judge to the Supreme Court. This marks the first set of recommendations by the Collegium under CJI Gavai 's leadership. The Collegium now includes Justices J.K. Maheshwari and B.V. Nagarathna , following the recent retirements of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and A.S. Oka.

The working strength of the Supreme Court Bench had reduced to 31 judges, and is set to further diminish to 30 with the superannuation of Justice Bela Trivedi on June 9. The total sanctioned judicial strength of the apex court is 34.

The recommended names for elevation to the Supreme Court are:

Justice N.V.Anjaria : Chief Justice, High Court of Karnataka (Parent HC: Gujarat).

Justice VijayBishnoi : Chief Justice, Gauhati High Court (Parent HC: Rajasthan).

Justice A.S.Chandurkar : Judge, Bombay High Court (Parent HC: Bombay).

Profiles of Recommended Supreme Court Judges:

Justice N.V.Anjaria : Born in March 1965, Justice Anjaria hails from a family of lawyers. Before his elevation, he served as a senior panel counsel for several prominent bodies including the CBI and UGC. He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Gujarat High Court in November 2011, confirmed as a Permanent Judge in September 2013, and took oath as Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court on February 25, 2024.

Justice VijayBishnoi : Born in March 1964, Justice Bishnoi enrolled as an advocate in July 1989. He was appointed an Additional Judge of the Rajasthan High Court in January 2013 and became a Permanent Judge in January 2015. He assumed office as Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court on February 5, 2024.

Justice A.S.Chandurkar : Born in April 1965, Justice Chandurkar joined the Bar in July 1988. He was elevated to the Bombay High Court Bench on June 21, 2013.

The Collegium's resolution emphasized the need to fill the vacancies and ensure the Supreme Court functions at its optimal strength. The timing of these recommendations, shortly after CJI Gavai took office, signals a proactive approach to judicial appointments.

New Chief Justices Recommended for Five High Courts

The Supreme Court Collegium also made significant recommendations for the appointment of new Chief Justices to five High Courts: Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Gauhati, Patna, and Jharkhand.

The recommendations are as follows:

Madhya Pradesh High Court: Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva (currently Judge, Madhya Pradesh HC; Parent HC: Delhi).

Karnataka High Court: Justice VibhuBakhru (currently senior-most puisne Judge, Delhi HC). He is expected to replace Justice N.V.Anjaria , who has been recommended for elevation to the Supreme Court. Justice Bakhru had previously served as Acting Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.

Gauhati High Court: Justice Ashutosh Kumar (currently Judge, Patna HC). He is proposed to replace Justice VijayBishnoi , also recommended for the Supreme Court.

Patna High Court: Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi (currently serving in Patna HC; Parent HC: Gujarat).

Jharkhand High Court: Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan (currently Judge, Himachal Pradesh HC). The Collegium noted that a vacancy is "likely to arise consequent upon transfer of the incumbent Chief Justice."

These recommendations, if approved by the government, will lead to a significant reshuffle in the leadership of these High Courts, potentially influencing their administrative and judicial functioning.

Analysis and Implications for the Judiciary

These simultaneous notifications and recommendations carry substantial implications for the Indian judicial system.

Addressing Vacancies: The appointment of seven judges to High Courts and the recommendation of three judges to the Supreme Court are critical steps in addressing the ongoing issue of judicial vacancies. Vacancies at various levels of the judiciary have long been a concern, contributing to case backlogs and delays in justice delivery. The current appointments, particularly the detailed process for the Madhya Pradesh High Court judges, show a continued engagement between the Collegium and the government, even when navigating differing inputs.

CJI Gavai 's Collegium: A Proactive Start: The swift recommendations from the Collegium under CJI B.R. Gavai are noteworthy. As the first resolution under his leadership, it signals an intent to prioritize the filling of vacancies and maintaining the strength of the higher judiciary. The inclusion of Justices Maheshwari and Nagarathna in the Collegium also brings fresh perspectives to its deliberations. Justice Nagarathna 's presence is particularly significant, as she is expected to become the first woman Chief Justice of India in 2027.

Collegium's Assertiveness and Due Diligence: The Collegium's handling of the appointments for the Madhya Pradesh High Court, where it addressed and dismissed government concerns based on "unconfirmed information" for two candidates, underscores its role in judicial appointments. This reiterates the Collegium's stance on the primacy of its assessment of a candidate's suitability, especially when adverse inputs lack verifiable material.

Continuity and Change in High Court Leadership: The recommendations for new Chief Justices across five High Courts will bring new leadership to these crucial judicial institutions. The choices reflect considerations of seniority, merit, and regional representation. For instance, the elevation of existing Chief Justices ( Anjaria and Bishnoi ) to the Supreme Court necessitates new appointments in their respective High Courts (Karnataka and Gauhati).

Focus on Reducing Pendency: CJI Gavai ’s reported approach of referring to court holidays as "partial working days" and the fact that all five senior-most Supreme Court judges are presiding over Benches even during formal summer vacations highlight a renewed emphasis on judicial productivity. This commitment, coupled with efforts to fill vacancies, could contribute to tackling the formidable challenge of pendency in Indian courts.

The Path Ahead: While the High Court appointments have been notified by the Centre, the recommendations for the Supreme Court judges and the new High Court Chief Justices will now undergo the established process of government consideration and presidential assent. The legal community will be closely watching the timeline for these appointments.

These developments collectively represent a dynamic period for the Indian judiciary. The infusion of new judges and leaders is expected to invigorate the courts, and the proactive stance of the Supreme Court Collegium under CJI Gavai sets a tone for future judicial administration and appointments. The focus remains on strengthening the judiciary to ensure timely and effective justice delivery for all.