---
title: "Supreme Court Collegium Proposes New Chief Justices for Four High Courts"
url: https://projectchintan.com/article/supreme-court-collegium-recommends-high-court-chief-justices-wpquh
publisher: Project Chintan
author: Project Chintan Newsroom
section: India
published: 2026-08-11T00:01:22.273Z
modified: 2026-08-11T03:01:35.512Z
language: en-IN
---

# Supreme Court Collegium Proposes New Chief Justices for Four High Courts

The Supreme Court collegium has recommended appointments for four high court leadership roles despite three other jurisdictions remaining under acting officials. The move comes as the Orissa High Court faces a potential 50 percent vacancy rate following judicial transfers.

## Key takeaways

- The Supreme Court collegium has formally recommended names to fill four of the seven vacant regular Chief Justice positions across India's high courts.
- Orissa High Court is experiencing a severe staff shortage, with its working strength set to drop to 15 judges against a sanctioned capacity of 33.
- Three high courts, including Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, remain under the temporary leadership of acting Chief Justices without new recommendations.
- Institutional concerns persist regarding regional representation in the Supreme Court, as Orissa has lacked a representative for eight years.

## What Happened

The Supreme Court collegium, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, has submitted recommendations to the government for the appointment of four regular Chief Justices. The proposal addresses vacancies in the Bombay, Calcutta, Patna, and Punjab and Haryana High Courts. Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi is slated for the Bombay High Court, while Justice Ravindra V Ghuge is recommended for the Calcutta High Court. Additionally, Justice V Kameshwar Rao and Justice Ashwini Kumar Mishra have been proposed for the Patna and Punjab and Haryana High Courts, respectively.

Despite these moves, seven of India's 25 high courts currently lack regular Chief Justices. The collegium has yet to finalize appointments for the high courts of Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, and Madhya Pradesh, which continue to operate under acting leadership.

## Background

The judicial administration is also managing transfers intended to balance court performance. The five-member collegium, including Justices Vikram Nath, BV Nagarathna, MM Sundresh, and PS Narasimha, recommended moving two judges from the Orissa High Court to the Gujarat and Chhattisgarh High Courts. This decision highlights a growing vacancy crisis in Odisha; with a sanctioned strength of 33 judges, the court currently operates with 17. The upcoming transfers will reduce this number to 15, leaving more than half of the bench positions empty.

## Why It Matters

The distribution of judicial appointments remains a point of institutional scrutiny. While the Orissa High Court Collegium has submitted eight names for consideration, the court has not seen representation in the Supreme Court for eight years. This persists despite stated goals by successive Chief Justices to ensure the top court reflects a national character through regional and state-level diversity. The current administrative gap follows a period of institutional tension dating back to late 2018, during which time over 50 judges have been appointed to the Supreme Court without a representative from the Orissa High Court bench.

## Key Facts

- Seven out of 25 high courts in India are currently without permanent Chief Justices.
- The Supreme Court collegium recommended four names for appointment as regular Chief Justices.
- Orissa High Court faces a vacancy rate exceeding 50% following proposed transfers.
- No judge from the Orissa High Court has been elevated to the Supreme Court in the last eight years.
- The collegium consists of five senior members including the Chief Justice of India.

---
Canonical: https://projectchintan.com/article/supreme-court-collegium-recommends-high-court-chief-justices-wpquh
Reported from: Multiple Sources