The Supreme Court Collegium led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant recommended four High Court Chief Justices and senior advocate V Mohana for elevation as Supreme Court judges, with Mohana poised to become the first woman elevated to the apex court in over five years.
The Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has recommended the elevation of four High Court Chief Justices and one senior woman advocate as judges of the Supreme Court of India. The recommendations were finalised during consecutive Collegium meetings held on May 22 and May 27, and the official Collegium resolution was published late on Wednesday.
Among the names recommended is senior advocate V Mohana, a prominent lawyer practising before the Supreme Court. If appointed, she would become one of the very few women judges to serve on the apex court Bench and the first woman elevated to the Supreme Court in over five years.
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Ms. Mohana is widely recognised for her appearances in several important constitutional and service law matters. She was notably among the leading counsel in cases concerning gender equality and structural discrimination faced by women officers in the armed forces. Her legal work significantly contributed to judicial decisions expanding opportunities and permanent commission rights for women in the military.
At present, the Supreme Court has only one sitting woman judge, Justice B V Nagarathna, who is also a member of the Collegium. The recommendation of Ms. Mohana is therefore being viewed as a significant step toward improving gender representation in the higher judiciary.
The Collegium has also recommended the elevation of four serving Chief Justices of various High Courts across the country. These include Justice Sheel Nagu, presently serving as Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court; Justice Shree Chandrashekhar of the Bombay High Court; Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva of the Madhya Pradesh High Court; and Justice Arun Palli of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The Collegium’s recommendations appear to reflect an attempt to ensure broader regional representation within the apex court. Justice Nagu’s parent High Court is Madhya Pradesh, Justice Chandrashekhar originally belongs to the Jharkhand High Court, Justice Sachdeva’s parent High Court is Delhi, while Justice Palli hails from the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The move comes at a time when the Supreme Court is facing mounting pressure due to rising pendency of cases. Recently, the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court was increased from 34 to 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India, in an effort to improve disposal rates and reduce backlog.
The Court is also expected to witness additional vacancies in the coming weeks owing to the impending retirement of Justices J K Maheshwari and Pankaj Mithal in June.
With case pendency in the apex court nearing the six-figure mark, the latest recommendations are being viewed as crucial for strengthening judicial capacity and ensuring continued functioning of Constitution Benches and regular judicial work.
The Collegium system, through which judges of the higher judiciary are appointed, has often drawn public debate regarding transparency and representation. In recent years, concerns have repeatedly been raised over inadequate representation of women and regional diversity in the Supreme Court.
Against this backdrop, the recommendation of V. Mohana assumes particular significance, especially since the last woman judge appointed to the Supreme Court was in August 2021. Legal observers believe her elevation could contribute toward greater inclusivity and diversity in constitutional adjudication at the country’s highest court.
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