SC Collegium recommends new judges for Karnataka, MP, Himachal High Courts
New Delhi, June 3
The Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, has recommended a fresh set of appointments to the Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh High Courts.
The apex court Collegium has approved the proposal for the appointment of advocates Raghavendra Seetharam Srivatsa, Hema Kulkarni, Subramanya Rangarao, Thadagavadi Prakash Vivekananda, Bakkeswara Pramod and Hombe Gowda Shanthi Bhushan as Judges of the Karnataka High Court.
In its meeting held on June 2, the SC Collegium also recommended the name of advocate Amit Lahoti for appointment as a Judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
"The Supreme Court Collegium in its meeting held on 2nd June, 2026 has approved the proposal for appointment of Shri Amit Lahoti, Advocate as a Judge of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh," said a statement uploaded on the website of the apex court.
Further, the Collegium approved the proposal for appointment of judicial officers Chirag Bhanu Singh, Bhupesh Sharma and Yogesh Jaswal as Judges of the Himachal Pradesh High Court.
"The Supreme Court Collegium in its meeting held on 2nd June, 2026 has approved the proposal for appointment of the following Judicial Officers as Judges of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh: (i) Shri Chirag Bhanu Singh, (ii) Shri Bhupesh Sharma, and (iii) Shri Yogesh Jaswal," a separate statement said.
As per the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) governing the appointment of High Court judges, the proposal for appointment is initiated by the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court in consultation with the two senior-most judges of that High Court.
The recommendation is forwarded by the Chief Justice to the Chief Minister, who transmits it to the Governor. The Governor, in turn, forwards the proposal to the Union Minister of Law and Justice, along with relevant inputs and documents.
The proposal is then processed by the Centre before being placed before the Chief Justice of India (CJI), who consults the senior-most judges of the Supreme Court for finalising the recommendation.
Following the Collegium's approval, the recommendation is sent to the Central government. The appointments take effect after the President of India signs the warrants of appointment, and the Department of Justice issues the notification in the Gazette of India.
— IANS
Reader Comments
While appointments are being made, I'm concerned about the diversity aspect. Out of so many recommended, only one woman? The judiciary still has a long way to go in terms of gender representation. But still, congratulations to all the new judges! 🙏
The Memorandum of Procedure seems thorough - High Court CJ, Chief Minister, Governor, Law Ministry, CJI all involved. But we need more transparency in this process. Why can't the public know the criteria used to select candidates? At least they are filling vacancies finally, MP High Court has been overburdened for years.
Great move by CJI Surya Kant and the collegium. The backlog of cases in Himachal High Court is huge - over 25,000 pending matters. Having three new judicial officers like Chirag Bhanu Singh and Bhupesh Sharma will definitely help. Let's hope they clear the docket quickly! 🏔️⚡
I appreciate the appointments, but I wish there was more representation from marginalized communities in the judicial system. These positions shape the course of justice for millions. My hope is that future recommendations will reflect the true diversity of our society. Justice needs to be seen as fair from all angles. 🌟
Finally some movement in judicial appointments! The collegium system has been criticized for delays, but this shows it's working. I just hope the central government processes these files quickly - we can't afford more pendency. The new judges from Karnataka look impressive, especially Subramanya Rangarao who has argued many landmark cases. Let's see them deliver speedy justice now!
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