Supreme Court Gets First Judge from Manipur as Centre Clears 2 Appointments

Historic Moment as Justice N. KotiswarSinghBecomes the First Judge from Manipur to Join the Apex Court

The central government on Tuesday notified the appointments of Justices N. Kotiswar Singh and R.Mahadevan to the Supreme Court, following the recommendations made by the Supreme Court collegium.

This marks a historic moment, as Justice Singh 's elevation makes him the first judge from the state of Manipur to be appointed to the apex court, more than 70 years after India gained independence.

The Supreme Court collegium, led by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud , recommended the names of Justices Singh and Mahadevan on July 11, considering factors such as seniority, merit, and judicial integrity.

Representation for the North-East

In its resolution, the collegium stated that Justice Singh 's appointment "will provide representation to the North-East, and in particular he will be the first judge from the state of Manipur to be appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court."

Justice Singh , who was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court in February 2023, started his judicial career as an additional judge of the Gauhati High Court in October 2011. The collegium noted that he has "an impeccable record, both in judicial capacity and in terms of the work which has been rendered by him on the administrative side."

Diversity on the Bench

The second appointee, Justice R.Mahadevan , belongs to a backward community from Tamil Nadu. The collegium noted that his appointment would bring diversity to the Supreme Court bench.

The resolution explained that the collegium gave precedence to Justice Mahadevan 's candidature "in order to give representation to the backward community," over two senior Madras High Court judges.

Restoring the Supreme Court's Full Strength

With these two appointments, the Supreme Court has now reached its full sanctioned strength of 34 judges, including the Chief Justice of India. The recent retirements in April and May had left the court operating with 32 judges, two short of its full strength.

The collegium's timely recommendations and the central government's quick approval have ensured that the Supreme Court is now functioning at its full capacity.

Involvement of the CRP

In April 2023, Chief Justice Chandrachud announced the involvement of the Centre of Research and Planning (CRP), the court's in-house think tank, in preparing a list of potential future appointments to the top court. The CRP assists the permanent secretariat in the Supreme Court, which deals with various aspects of judicial appointments, including the collection of information, preparation of records, and presentation to the collegium.

Challenges in the Appointment Process

The Supreme Court collegium puts out some basic reasons as a rationale for the appointments or transfers it recommends. However, the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP), a guidebook of understanding between the Supreme Court collegium and the central government, does not bind the government to a timeline to respond. The government can simply sit on the collegium's recommendations, as has been the case in the past.

The timely appointments of Justices Singh and Mahadevan , despite these challenges, mark a significant milestone for the Supreme Court and the representation of diverse communities on the bench.