Overview

• At a meeting on August 25, the five-member collegium led by Chief Justice B. R. Gavai recommended Bombay HC Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Patna HC Chief Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi for elevation.
• Justice B. V. Nagarathna issued a written dissent opposing Pancholi’s elevation, citing his all-India seniority, Gujarat High Court representation, and concerns about the collegium’s credibility.
• If appointed, Justice Pancholi would be in the line of succession to serve as Chief Justice of India from October 2031, according to multiple reports on tenure projections.
• Neither nominee is a woman, and with Justice Bela M. Trivedi’s recent retirement, Justice Nagarathna remains the only woman judge on the Supreme Court.
• The collegium’s resolution was uploaded on the Supreme Court website, and it also proposed transfers of 14 High Court judges.