New Delhi, November 26: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday assumed leadership of the Supreme Court Collegium, the body responsible for appointing judges to the higher judiciary, following the retirement of his predecessor, Chief Justice B.R. Gavai.
Justice Gavai demitted office on Sunday, prompting the reconstitution of both the five-member Collegium—which handles appointments to the Supreme Court and transfers of High Court judges—and the three-member body that oversees High Court appointments.
The new five-member Collegium now comprises Chief Justice Kant and Justices Vikram Nath, B.V. Nagarathna, J.K. Maheshwari and M.M. Sundresh. The three-member Collegium will include the Chief Justice along with Justices Nath and Nagarathna.
Justice Kant, who has a tenure of nearly 15 months as CJI, will preside over a Collegium that is expected to undergo only one change during his term. Justice Maheshwari is set to retire on June 28, 2026, after which Justice P.S. Narasimha will join the Collegium.
Following Justice Kant’s own retirement, Justice J.B. Pardiwala is due to enter the top decision-making body. The Collegium system, established through a series of Supreme Court rulings, governs the appointment and transfer of judges to the Supreme Court and High Courts, and remains central to judicial appointments in India.
