Historic Appointments: First Manipur and Tamil Nadu Judges Elevated to Supreme Court

The Central Government has appointed N Kotiswar Singh and R Mahadevan as Supreme Court judges. Singh is the first judge from Manipur, while Mahadevan brings representation from Tamil Nadu's backward community. The Supreme Court will now function at its full strength of 34 judges.

The Central Government, through the Ministry of Law and Justice, on Tuesday announced the appointment of N Kotiswar Singh and R Mahadevan as judges of the Supreme Court of India. In an X Post, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal confirmed the appointments, which were made by the President in consultation with the Chief Justice of India.

Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh, Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, and Acting Madras High Court Chief Justice R Mahadevan were elevated on the Supreme Court Collegium's recommendations. Singh's appointment marks a historic first as he becomes the first Supreme Court judge from Manipur. The Collegium highlighted that Singh's appointment would provide much-needed representation from the North-East.

The Collegium, comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, Surya Kant, and Hrishikesh Roy, praised Singh for his judicial acumen, integrity, and administrative skills. Justice Mahadevan, belonging to Tamil Nadu's backward community, was recognized for his judicial work and seniority. His elevation is seen as a move to bring diversity to the Bench. The appointments fill the vacancies left by the retirements of Justices Aniruddha Bose and AS Bopanna, enabling the Supreme Court to operate at its full strength of 34 judges.

(With inputs from agencies.)