SC Gets Two New Judges, Including First-Ever From Manipur

The President has appointed Justices N Kotiswar Singh and R Mahadevan as judges of the Supreme Court. Once they take the oath, the apex court will regain its sanctioned strength of 34, including the Chief Justice.

After the appointment, Jammu and Kashmir's chief justice, Justice N Kotiswar Singh will become the first judge from Manipur to have been appointed to the top court. Justice Mahadevan is at present the acting chief justice of the Madras High Court.

Union Minister for Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal announced the appointments on X. "In exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution of India, Hon'ble President, after consultation with Hon'ble Chief Justice of India, is pleased to appoint the Supreme Court Judges N Kotiswar Singh and R Mahadevan," Meghwal said.

The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended to the Central Government to appoint a Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court Justice N Koteshwar Singh and Acting Chief Justice of Madras High Court Justice R Mahadevan as Supreme Court judges.

Justice Mahadevan, currently the acting Chief Justice of Madras High Court, hails from the backward class. He completed his law degree from Madras Law College and began practicing law in 1989. For 25 years, he specialized in civil, criminal, and writ cases, with a focus on indirect taxes, customs, and central excise matters. He was appointed as a judge of the Madras High Court in 2013.

Justice Singh, born on March 1, 1963, in Imphal, Manipur, has had a distinguished career in the judiciary. He was recommended by the collegium led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and other senior judges. Prior to his appointment, he served as Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh since February 12 last year. With over three decades of experience in the judiciary, Justice Singh has held various positions, including being an additional judge and permanent judge of the Gauhati High Court, as well as Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court.

With his appointment, it marks a significant milestone for Manipur, which has secured representation in the Supreme Court for the first time since it gained statehood over 50 years ago.