Centre appoints 30 judges to Madras, Calcutta, Karnataka, MP High Courts
Synopsis
In one of the larger single-notification batches in recent months, the Centre has elevated 30 advocates and judicial officers across four High Courts — Madras receiving the largest share with 15 appointments. The move, backed by the Supreme Court Collegium, signals a push to chip away at India's chronic judicial vacancy crisis.
Key Takeaways
The Centre notified the appointment of 30 judges and additional judges across four High Courts on 7 August .
Madras High Court received the most appointments — 5 judges and 10 additional judges .
Calcutta High Court got 8 additional judges ; Karnataka High Court received 6 ; Madhya Pradesh High Court received 1 .
All appointments were made by the President of India in consultation with the Chief Justice of India .
Elevations followed formal recommendations by the Supreme Court Collegium .
The Centre on Friday, 7 August formally notified the appointment of 30 advocates and judicial officers as judges and additional judges across four High Courts — Madras, Calcutta, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh. The appointments were made by the President of India in consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI), following recommendations by the Supreme Court Collegium.
What the Government Said
Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal announced the appointments in a post on X, quoting the official notification. 'In exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution of India, in consultation with Chief Justice of India, the President is pleased to appoint the following Advocates/Judicial Officers as Judges/Additional Judges in the High Courts,' the notification stated.
Madras High Court Appointments
The largest share of appointments went to the Madras High Court, with 15 new additions in total. Five advocates — Govindarajan Krishnaswamy, Rajnish Pathiyil, Ramesh Natarajan, G.K. Muthukumaar, and Ramakrishnan Rajesh Vivekananthan — were elevated as full judges. Ten others were appointed as additional judges, comprising advocates Raveekumar Sankaranarayanan, Dilip Kumar Nagarajan, and Ellappan Manoharan, along with judicial officers Dr P. Murugan, M.D. Sumathi, S. Alli, C. Thirumagal, Shanmugam Karthikeyan, Murugesan Baluchamy, and N. Gunasekaran.
Calcutta and Karnataka High Court Appointments
Eight advocates were appointed as additional judges of the Calcutta High Court: Aryak Dutt, Atarup Banerjee, Sandip Kumar De, Partha Pratim Roy, Sudip Deb, Anuj Singh, Arjun Ray Mukherjee, and Rishad Medora. The Karnataka High Court received six additional judges: Raghavendra Seetharam Srivatsa, Hema Kulkarni, Subramanya Rangarao, Vivekananda Thadagavadi Prakash, Pramod Bakkeswara, and Shanthi Bhushan Hombe Gowda.
Madhya Pradesh and the Collegium Process
Advocate Amit Lahoti was appointed as an additional judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, rounding out the batch of 30 appointments. All elevations follow formal recommendations by the Supreme Court Collegium, the constitutional body that vets judicial appointments in India. This batch represents one of the larger single-notification rounds of High Court appointments in recent months, partially addressing the significant judicial vacancy backlog that has long strained case disposal rates across these courts.
Point of View
But must be read against India's persistent judicial vacancy problem — hundreds of posts across High Courts remain unfilled, and pendency figures run into crores of cases. The Collegium-to-notification pipeline has historically been sluggish, and single large batches, while welcome, do not substitute for a steady, transparent appointment rhythm. The real test is whether these elevations are accompanied by corresponding infrastructure — courtrooms, staff, and case-management systems — without which new judges alone cannot move the needle on disposal rates.
NationPress
7 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many judges were appointed and to which High Courts?
The Centre appointed 30 advocates and judicial officers as judges and additional judges across four High Courts on 7 August — Madras (15), Calcutta (8), Karnataka (6), and Madhya Pradesh (1). The appointments were notified by the President of India in consultation with the Chief Justice of India.
Who recommended these judicial appointments?
The Supreme Court Collegium recommended the elevation of all 30 advocates and judicial officers to their respective High Courts. The President formally approved the appointments in consultation with the Chief Justice of India, as required under the Constitution.
Who are the new judges of the Madras High Court?
Five advocates — Govindarajan Krishnaswamy, Rajnish Pathiyil, Ramesh Natarajan, G.K. Muthukumaar, and Ramakrishnan Rajesh Vivekananthan — were appointed as full judges. Ten others, including advocates and judicial officers, were appointed as additional judges of the Madras High Court.
Who announced the judicial appointments?
Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal announced the appointments in a post on X, sharing the official government notification quoting the President's order under the Constitution of India.
Why do these High Court appointments matter?
Indian High Courts carry a significant backlog of pending cases, partly due to large numbers of judicial vacancies. Appointments of this scale help reduce vacancy gaps, though sustained and systematic filling of posts is needed to meaningfully improve case disposal rates.
