Overview

• Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Vibhu Bakhru, Ashutosh Kumar, Vipul Manubhai Pancholi and Tarlok Singh Chauhan were appointed chief justices of the Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Gauhati, Patna and Jharkhand high courts on July 14.
• Incumbent chief justices Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, Aparesh Kumar Singh, M. S. Ramachandra Rao and K. R. Shriram were transferred to the Madras, Telangana, Tripura and Rajasthan high courts, respectively.
• The Law Ministry notifications also reassigned 19 high court judges across multiple benches based on the Supreme Court Collegium’s May 26 recommendations.
• Data from June 2024 show 345 vacancies across India’s 25 high courts, leaving roughly one-third of sanctioned judgeships unfilled despite the latest appointments.
• The reshuffle underscores ongoing collaboration between the judiciary and executive under Article 217 and highlights efforts to strengthen bench leadership amid persistent staffing gaps.