In a major boost to the judiciary, the Union government is set to notify the appointment of three new Supreme Court judges following President Droupadi Murmu’s assent to the recommendations made by the collegium earlier this week. The appointments are expected to be formally announced on Thursday and the new judges will likely be sworn in on Friday by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai. This swift process, completed just three days after the collegium’s recommendation, signals a proactive start to the tenure of the new Chief Justice.
President Clears Collegium Picks Swiftly
The appointment files reached the President on Wednesday and received her approval within hours, paving the way for the law ministry to issue the official notification. The three judges set to join the apex court are Justice NV Anjaria, currently Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court with a parent high court in Gujarat; Justice Vijay Bishnoi, Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court with roots in the Rajasthan High Court; and Justice AS Chandurkar, a serving judge of the Bombay High Court. Their induction will bring the Supreme Court’s strength to its sanctioned capacity of 34 judges.
The Supreme Court collegium, consisting of the five seniormost judges — CJI Gavai, and Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, JK Maheshwari, and BV Nagarathna — had recommended their elevation in a meeting held on May 26. The selection reflects an ongoing focus on maintaining regional diversity and upholding judicial seniority. Insiders noted that while some women judges were also under consideration, a final decision on that front was deferred until after Justice Bela M Trivedi’s retirement on June 9.
High Court Reshuffle and Greater Transparency Drive
In the same May 26 meeting, the collegium also proposed the appointment of five new high court chief justices and a reshuffle involving four others. Additionally, 22 judges have been transferred based on administrative needs and personal preferences, as part of a larger effort to make the judiciary more efficient and responsive.
This wave of appointments comes amid increased attention on the judiciary, especially after recent controversies. Notably, the case involving unaccounted cash found at the residence of sitting high court judge Yashwant Varma prompted the Supreme Court to forward a detailed inquiry report to the President and Prime Minister. Earlier in May, under former CJI Sanjiv Khanna, the Court also introduced reforms enhancing transparency by publicly disclosing collegium decisions and judges’ profiles and asset declarations online.
