SC gets 2 new judges, Justice Pancholi set to be CJI in 2031 despite dissent in collegium

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will reach its full sanctioned strength of 34 judges with the elevation of Bombay High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Patna High Court Chief Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi, the Union law ministry announced on Wednesday.

The two names were recommended by the collegium on August 25. Once sworn in, Justice Pancholi will be in line to become Chief Justice of India (CJI) in October 2031 after Justice Joymalya Bagchi’s retirement, and will serve as CJI until May 2033.

However, the decision has triggered dissent within the collegium itself. Justice B V Nagarathna, the lone woman judge in the apex court, strongly objected to Pancholi’s elevation, calling it “counter-productive to justice”. She noted that his transfer from the Gujarat High Court to the Patna High Court last year was not routine, but a carefully considered move following consultations with senior judges. Elevating him despite those circumstances, she warned, could undermine the credibility of the collegium system.

The dissent also highlighted concerns about regional imbalance, pointing out that Pancholi would become the third judge from Gujarat in the top court, even as several other high courts remain underrepresented. Justice Pancholi is 57th in the all-India seniority list of high court judges.

Civil society group Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms (CJAR) echoed the concerns, saying the collegium’s 4-1 split decision “makes a mockery of earlier resolutions on transparency in judicial appointments”.

Justice Aradhe’s career
Born on April 13, 1964, Justice Aradhe enrolled as an advocate in 1988 and was designated senior advocate in 2007. He became a judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in 2009 and later served in the Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Telangana and Bombay High Courts, eventually becoming Chief Justice of Bombay HC in January 2025.

Justice Pancholi’s career
Born on May 28, 1968, Justice Pancholi started his practice in 1991 in the Gujarat High Court, where he also served as an additional public prosecutor. Elevated as a judge in 2014, he became Chief Justice of the Patna High Court in July 2025.

While the government has cleared both appointments, Justice Nagarathna’s dissent has cast a spotlight on internal divisions within the collegium and reignited debate over judicial transparency and regional representation in the apex court.