The Government of India has announced the appointment of 30 new judges to four High Courts: Calcutta, Madhya Pradesh (MP), Karnataka, and Madras. The Ministry of Law and Justice notified these appointments on May 30, 2024, following recommendations from the Supreme Court Collegium. This move aims to bolster the judicial strength in these regions and contribute to reducing the significant backlog of cases.

The appointments are a part of ongoing efforts to address judicial vacancies across various High Courts, which have often led to delays in the judicial process. The induction of these 30 new judges is expected to enhance the capacity of the respective courts to hear and decide cases more efficiently. The process for these appointments involves detailed scrutiny and recommendation by the Supreme Court Collegium, headed by the Chief Justice of India, followed by formal notification by the central government.

The breakdown of the new judicial appointments across the four High Courts is as follows:

  • Madhya Pradesh High Court: Eleven additional judges have been appointed. Among them are Achal Kumar Paliwal, Hirdyesh Singh, Avanindra Kumar Singh, Sushil Kumar Pal, Dwarka Dhish Bansal, Prem Narayan Singh, Manoj Kumar Tyagi, Virendra Singh, Dev Narayan Mishra, Gajendra Singh, and Om Prakash Tripathi.
  • Karnataka High Court: Seven additional judges have been appointed. These include Anil Bheemanagoudar, Gurusiddaiah Basavaraja, Kengannavar Mohankumar, Nagaraj Shivappa, Ravi Venkappa Hosmani, Savanur Vishwajith Shetty, and Srinivas Harish Kumar.
  • Calcutta High Court: Six additional judges have been appointed. The appointees include Biswaroop Chowdhury, Partha Sarathi Sen, Prasenjit Biswas, Uday Kumar, Ajay Kumar Gupta, and Supratim Sasmal.
  • Madras High Court: Six additional judges have been appointed. These new judges are N. Mala, R. Kalaimathi, S. Ananthi, S. Sounthar, V. Sivagnanam, and M. Sundar.

The Supreme Court Collegium, under the leadership of Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, plays a critical role in evaluating and recommending candidates for appointment as High Court judges. These recommendations consider factors such as judicial experience, integrity, and legal acumen. The Union government then processes these recommendations and formalizes the appointments through presidential warrants.

Despite these appointments, judicial vacancies persist across the Indian High Courts, indicating a continuous need for appointments to maintain optimal judicial functioning. The government has repeatedly stated its commitment to expediting the appointment process to ensure that courts are adequately staffed. The swearing-in ceremonies for these newly appointed judges are expected to take place in the coming days, upon which they will assume their duties in their respective High Courts.