In a major step toward filling vacancies across the higher judiciary, the Supreme Court Collegium, in its meeting held on September 10, 2026, approved and recommended the elevation of 15 judicial officers as Judges across four High Courts.
The Collegium resolutions cover the High Courts of Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Karnataka, and Jharkhand, with the Delhi High Court accounting for the largest share of proposed elevations.
Analysis of the Recommendations
- Accurate Constitutional Process: Under the memorandum of procedure, the Collegium initiates and approves the names before recommending them to the Union Ministry of Law and Justice. The central government subsequently conducts background vetting and forwards the names to the President of India for formal clearance and warrant of appointment.
- Significant Reinforcement for Delhi High Court: The Collegium recommended eight judicial officers for the Delhi High Court, drawing extensively from the senior district judiciary: Gurvinder Pal Singh, Nivedita Anil Sharma, Nisha Sahay Saxena, Sanjay Sharma-I, Bharat Parashar, Dr. Aditi Choudhary, Dinesh Bhatt, and Arun Bhardwaj. Their extensive trial court and specialized tribunal experience is set to bolster the bench’s capacity in managing civil, criminal, and commercial matters.
- Focus on Subordinate Judiciary Elevations: All 15 candidates recommended across the four High Courts are career Judicial Officers, underscoring continued recognition of service in the district judiciary.
- High Court-wise Distribution:
- Delhi High Court: 8 recommendations
- Karnataka High Court: 3 recommendations
- Jharkhand High Court: 3 recommendations
- Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court: 1 recommendation
Breakdown by High Court
High Court of Delhi
The Collegium approved the proposal to recommend eight Judicial Officers for appointment as Judges:
- Shri Gurvinder Pal Singh
- Smt. Nivedita Anil Sharma
- Smt. Nisha Sahay Saxena
- Shri Sanjay Sharma-I
- Shri Bharat Parashar
- Dr. (Smt.) Aditi Choudhary
- Shri Dinesh Bhatt
- Shri Arun Bhardwaj
High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh
The Collegium recommended:
- Shri Yash Paul Bourney, Judicial Officer
High Court of Karnataka
Three Judicial Officers were recommended for elevation:
- Smt. Usharani
- Shri K.S. Bharath Kumar
- Smt. Nerale Veerabhadraiah Bhavani
High Court of Jharkhand
Three Judicial Officers were recommended for elevation:
- Shri Manoj Prasad
- Shri Akhil Kumar
- Shri Ram Sharma
The recommendations will be forwarded to the Union Ministry of Law and Justice. Once the Central Government and the President of India grant formal clearance, the official notification of appointment will be issued in the Gazette of India.
