The Supreme Court Collegium led by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai has approved the appointment of several lawyers and judicial officers to the High Courts of Rajasthan, Allahabad and Delhi, including some names that were earlier rejected by the previous Collegium headed by then CJI Sanjiv Khanna, as per reports.
The development follows the return of certain files by the Union government to the Collegium, requesting a re-assessment of candidates. According to reports, the government had indicated that relevant information in favour of the candidates had been overlooked in the earlier assessment.
Fresh Review Under New Collegium
Justice Gavai took charge as CJI on 14 May, and the approvals were given thereafter. The Collegium decided to re-examine the proposals under the provisions of the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP), which allows the government to seek reconsideration of recommendations.
On review, the Collegium found some previously rejected candidates fit for elevation. For Rajasthan, the Centre had asked the Collegium to reconsider four lawyers, but approval was given for only three. For Delhi, the government returned the names of four judicial officers, with three cleared after review. In total, the Collegium has now approved four names for Rajasthan (three lawyers and one judicial officer), three judicial officers for Allahabad, and three judicial officers for Delhi.
Background of Earlier Recommendations
CJI Khanna’s Collegium had made recommendations for Rajasthan in two phases—judicial officers in December 2024 and lawyers in March 2025. For Delhi, judicial officers were selected in February 2025, and for Allahabad, the decision was taken in April 2025.
Under the MoP, the Supreme Court Collegium—comprising the CJI and the two senior-most judges—makes the final decision on High Court appointments after proposals come from the government. If the Centre returns a name for reconsideration and the Collegium reiterates its recommendation, the government is bound to accept it. There is, however, no timeline prescribed for notification of approved names.
Process Included Fresh Interviews
At present, Justices Surya Kant and Vikram Nath are the other members of the three-judge Collegium. Notably, both CJI Gavai and Justice Surya Kant were part of the previous Collegium that had rejected the names now approved.
As per reports, when the government returned the files, it provided additional material to counter earlier objections against certain candidates. For instance, one judicial officer’s name was initially rejected due to objections, but after reconsideration and a fresh interview, the Collegium found the candidate suitable.
