SC Collegium clears 9 advocates as Calcutta HC judges
Synopsis
The Supreme Court Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, has cleared nine advocates for elevation as Calcutta High Court judges in meetings held on 11 and 12 May 2026. The batch appointment signals a meaningful push to address judicial vacancies at one of India's busiest High Courts.
Key Takeaways
The Supreme Court Collegium , headed by CJI Surya Kant , approved nine advocates as Calcutta High Court judges on 12 May 2026 .
The nine advocates cleared are Indranil Roy , Aryak Dutt , Atarup Banerjee , Sandip Kumar De , Partha Pratim Roy , Sudip Deb , Anuj Singh , Arjun Ray Mukherjee , and Rishad Medora .
Appointments were approved across Collegium meetings held on 11 and 12 May 2026 .
The appointments take effect only after the President of India signs the warrants and the Department of Justice publishes the notification in the Gazette of India .
The move is expected to address judicial vacancies at the Calcutta High Court , one of India's oldest and most case-burdened courts.
The Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, has approved the appointment of nine advocates as judges of the Calcutta High Court, according to a statement released on Tuesday, 12 May 2026. The approvals were formalised across Collegium meetings held on 11 and 12 May 2026.
The Nine Advocates Cleared for Elevation
The Collegium cleared the following advocates for appointment to the Bench: Indranil Roy, Aryak Dutt, Atarup Banerjee, Sandip Kumar De, Partha Pratim Roy, Sudip Deb, Anuj Singh, Arjun Ray Mukherjee, and Rishad Medora. The Collegium's statement listed all nine names as approved for elevation to the Calcutta High Court.
How the Appointment Process Works
Under the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) governing High Court appointments, the process begins with the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court, who initiates the proposal in consultation with the two senior-most judges of that court. The recommendation is then forwarded to the Chief Minister, who transmits it to the Governor. The Governor forwards the proposal to the Union Minister of Law and Justice, along with relevant inputs and documents.
The Centre processes the proposal before it is placed before the Chief Justice of India, who consults the senior-most judges of the Supreme Court to finalise the recommendation. Once the Collegium approves, the recommendation is sent to the Central government.
What Happens Next
The appointments will take legal effect only after the President of India signs the warrants of appointment and the Department of Justice issues the formal notification in the Gazette of India. Until that notification is published, the nine advocates remain in their current capacity.
Role of the Supreme Court Collegium
The Supreme Court Collegium comprises the Chief Justice of India and the four senior-most judges of the apex court. It is the constitutional body responsible for all recommendations relating to appointments and transfers in the higher judiciary — including both High Courts and the Supreme Court. Notably, the Calcutta High Court is one of India's oldest and busiest High Courts, and this batch of nine appointments represents a significant infusion of judicial strength to the Bench.
The move comes amid broader concerns about judicial vacancies across India's High Courts, where pendency of cases remains a persistent challenge. The Centre is expected to process the Collegium's recommendation in the coming weeks.
Point of View
But it must be seen against the scale of the vacancy problem across India's High Courts, where hundreds of posts sit unfilled for months or years. The Collegium's pace of recommendations has often been criticised as insufficient to keep up with attrition and rising caseloads. The real test is not the approval — it is how quickly the Centre processes the warrants. Historically, delays between Collegium clearance and Presidential assent have allowed vacancies to persist even after names are finalised, undermining the purpose of the exercise.
NationPress
13 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which advocates has the SC Collegium recommended as Calcutta High Court judges?
The Supreme Court Collegium has approved nine advocates — Indranil Roy, Aryak Dutt, Atarup Banerjee, Sandip Kumar De, Partha Pratim Roy, Sudip Deb, Anuj Singh, Arjun Ray Mukherjee, and Rishad Medora — as judges of the Calcutta High Court. The approvals were made in meetings held on 11 and 12 May 2026.
Who heads the Supreme Court Collegium?
The Supreme Court Collegium is headed by the Chief Justice of India. As of May 2026, Chief Justice Surya Kant leads the Collegium, which also comprises the four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court.
When will the nine advocates officially become Calcutta High Court judges?
The appointments will take effect after the President of India signs the warrants of appointment and the Department of Justice issues the formal notification in the Gazette of India. The Centre must first process the Collegium's recommendation before this can happen.
What is the Memorandum of Procedure for appointing High Court judges?
The Memorandum of Procedure requires that the appointment process begin with the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court, in consultation with its two senior-most judges. The recommendation then moves through the Chief Minister, Governor, and Union Law Minister before reaching the Supreme Court Collegium for final approval.
Why are these appointments significant for the Calcutta High Court?
The Calcutta High Court is one of India's oldest and most case-burdened courts. Adding nine judges to the Bench is expected to help address judicial vacancies and reduce case pendency, which remains a persistent challenge across India's higher judiciary.
