Centre Appoints 8 Chief Justices Across High Courts in India

The Centre has made appointments of eight Chief Justices to various High Courts in India, just a few days after the recommendations for the same were proposed by the Supreme Court Collegium. These appointments have been made on September 5, 2026, which are in relation to the High Courts of Patna, Calcutta, Rajasthan, Bombay, Punjab and Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. This has been informed by the Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, who said that these appointments have been made by the President exercising his/her constitutional powers.

Eight Newly Appointed Chief Justices of High Courts

The eight new appointees made by the Centre include the following,

1. Chief Justice of Patna High Court will be Justice Valluri Kameswar Rao of Delhi High Court.
2. Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court will be Justice Ravindra V Ghuge of Bombay High Court.
3. Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court will be Justice Sanjay Kumar Agrawal of Chhattisgarh High Court.
4. Head of Bombay High Court will be Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi of Allahabad High Court.
5. Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court will be Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra of Punjab and Haryana High Court.
6. Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court will be Justice Krushna Ram Mohapatra of Orissa High Court.
7. Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court will be Justice Alpesh Yeshvant Kogje of Gujarat High Court.
8. Head of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court will be Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati of Rajasthan High Court.

Recommendations for Appointment of Judges by Supreme Court Collegium

These appointments have been made on the basis of recommendations by the Supreme Court Collegium on 9th August and 31st August. Supreme Court Collegium is an essential body that recommends judges for appointments and elevation to higher judicial offices.

These appointments are officially made by the President according to the Constitution after the consultation process.

Significance of the Appointment of Chief Justices

Chief Justices perform an important administrative and judicial function at the respective High Courts. In addition to deciding cases, Chief Justices manage the functioning of the court, form benches and manage the overall judicial administration.

These appointments also come at a time when the Rajasthan High Court is making news in view of some issues related to its acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma.