Two New SC Judges To Take Oath Today; Top Court Gets First Judge From Manipur

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud will administer oath to Justices Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh and R Mahadevan as Supreme Court judges today.

Their appointments were approved by the President on July 16. The appointment will restore the top court’s full strength of 34 judges, including Chief Justice DY Chandrachud.

The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh and Acting Chief of Madras High Court R Mahadevan for elevation to the top court.

Justice Singh will be the first judge from the state of Manipur to be appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court.

“His appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court 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,” stated the resolution of the Collegium.

The collegium consisted of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, Surya Kant, and Hrishikesh Roy.

Recommending elevation of Justice Mahadevan, resolution stated that he belongs to a backward community from the State of Tamil Nadu and his appointment will bring diversity to the Bench.

The Collegium had taken due note of the fact that Justice Mahadevan ranked third in the order of presently serving judges of the Madras High Court, including the judges who have been posted as Chief Justices outside the Madras High Court, the resolution stated.

“At this stage, the Collegium has given precedence to the candidature of Justice Mahadevan in order to give representation to the backward community. For the above reasons, the Collegium is of the view that he is suitable and fit for being appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court,” it added.

The two judges were recommended for elevation as there are two vacancies in the Supreme Court. Justice Aniruddha Bose retired on April 10, 2024 and Justice AS Bopanna retired on May 19, 2024.

Also Read: Who is Justice N Kotiswar Singh, first Supreme Court judge from Manipur?